A Tale of Foxes and Dust
by ZeroDivisionRaijin
Summary: What happens when someone is broken? What happens when they witness something that shatters their very soul? What happens when someone loses their entire world yet ends up in another? Naruto will answer all of these questions and he will show Remnant the wrath of a broken Fox. Fox Faunus/Naruto, Dark/Ruthless/Chessmaster/Sharingan/Naruto.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I just couldn't help myself. Remember that Dark!Naruto story I was talking about? Well, this is it! Short-ish chapter, I know, but this was mainly an introduction chapter, to set the stage for things to come. Expect Foxes and Rose Petals to be updated more frequently than this, as it has most of my attention for now, but I'm not abandoning this story with only one chapter and I'm not putting it on hiatus. The thought of a dark chessmaster-type Naruto just wouldn't leave me alone and it led to this. Hope you all enjoy and as always, no flames please!**

 _So, you wanna know my story, huh? You're not the first and you won't be the last. My legend is one that many have heard but not believed, so I wonder how you will take this? Where to start off… oh yeah! I'm not from this dimension. Surprising, I know, but it's the honest truth. My life has been filled with a myriad of tragedies, some out of my control… and some I caused with my own hands. That's what makes me special, I guess. I can either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. One thing's for sure, though… being the good guy is just boring as hell! I didn't want to be the good guy. I might have started off with dreams of grandeur stuck in my head, but the real world soon smacked some sense into me… or it smacked a bit of madness into me, either or. Oh? You want to hear the whole story? Of me? I'm flattered! Well, what better place to start than the beginning? You see, I had just saved my village from a man by the name of Nagato Uzumaki, or "Pain" as everyone knew him as. I was regarded as a hero, but there was just one problem. You see…_

Why was it like this? Why did it have to be like this? He saved them all, dammit! He thought they were his friends! It just wasn't fair!

Ever since the Pain Invasion, Konoha as a whole was thankful to Naruto for saving them, they even declared him a hero for his actions. But his so called friends, however, were less than pleased. They saw him at his worst, in a form that he didn't want them to see. They all had seen him go into his Six Tailed State and eventually into his Eight Tailed State against Pain, and if that wasn't bad enough, they blamed him for Hinata being mortally wounded. They all blamed him, they all despised him now… everyone except a certain pinkette by the name of Haruno Sakura and Sai.

"Just ignore them, Naruto." Sakura softly said to him while gently pulling him away. "They're just biased assholes."

"Why did it come to this?" Naruto asked while leveling a glare at Shikamaru, who seemed to recoil a bit.

"We all saw what you turned into." Shikamaru responded calmly. "All our lives we were taught that the Kyuubi was an evil thing to be feared and reviled. Little did we know that its Jinchuuriki was sitting right under our noses."

"Just because Naruto-kun is a Jinchuuriki doesn't mean he is the Kyuubi itself." Sai came to the aid of his only friend. "Do keep in mind that he saved Konoha from the Akatsuki Leader himself and regained control from the beast."

"That doesn't mean shit!" Kiba snarled. "What he holds inside of him destroyed our village once and killed our Yondaime (Fourth) Hokage. The Akatsuki targeted us because we refused to give him up and as a result, we were attacked, our village was destroyed again and Hinata might die from her wounds! All of this could have been avoided if we just gave him up in the first place!"

"You haven't seen what the Akatsuki do to the Jinchuuriki they capture!" Sakura shot back. "And you wouldn't understand even if I took the time to explain it to you, dog breath!"

"Watch your mouth, bitch!"

"Maybe I should also remind you all of another fact…" Sai drawled as he reached back for his tanto. "The Sandaime's (Third's) Decree is still in effect… anyone that talks about Uzumaki Naruto's condition in public is to be executed… shall I exercise that mandate?"

"No, Sai." Naruto cut in. "Don't give them the satisfaction. Let's just go, you two."

At once, all three of them turned on their heels and began to walk away from the group.

"Just like a little bitch!" Kiba yelled after them. "Retreating with your boy-toy and useless whore! Gonna go fuck your worries away?!"

Sakura was about to turn and retaliate, but a sudden gust of wind in her face stopped her. Next thing she knew, Naruto was in front of Kiba and sent a straight punch to the Inuzuka's throat which sent him clattering to his knees holding said area, choking.

He then thrusted his left and right hands to the sides and sent both Shikamaru and Ino flying away a la a burst of Fuuton (Wind Release) Chakra, and as Akamaru went in for a bite, the dog was instead tackled into a wall by one of Sai's drawings. Chouji was the next one to step up, but a punch to the face from Sakura sent him skidding back flat on his back. As everyone leveled a stare at Shino, the Aburame heir slowly shook his head at his friends as he was one of the people who were secretly on Naruto's side. Seeing everyone else sprawled out before him, he shook his head once again and silently walked away.

The noise of gagging and heaving soon reached Naruto's ears as he looked down to see that Kiba was still recovering from the throat punch and this was when a laugh escaped him.

"Just like a little bitch…" Naruto growled, repeating Kiba's prior words. "On your knees like a little bitch." The blonde then pulled the Inuzuka sharply upwards by the collar of his jacket so he was eye-level. "Consider this a warning, Inuzuka. Don't fuck with me. Or my remaining friends. Ever again. You hear me?" A few frantic nods from Kiba sealed the deal before Naruto threw the boy back to the ground and began walking away.

"We've made our point." He said to both Sakura and Sai, who fell into step on either side of him, Sakura to his right and Sai to his left.

"They're not going to let this go." Sai said. "With Tsunade-sama out of commission, there's no one to protect you save for us, Kakashi, Yamato-taichou and maybe Shino-san."

"Sai's right, Naruto." Sakura added. "We need to be careful from now on."

"Well…" Naruto hummed. "I have an idea. It might not be the smartest idea, but it's an idea nonetheless."

 **(Office of Shimura Danzo: Half an hour later)**

"I see…" Danzo said as he sipped his tea. "This is indeed a problem. I understand now why you came to me, Naruto-san."

"So?" Naruto asked. "Is there anything that can be done?"

"Hmm…" The War Hawk began to ponder. "Sai, you vouch for these two?"

"Hai, Danzo-sama." Sai responded with confidence filling his voice.

"Very well. I'll take you in, Naruto-san. If you wish, you may join my ANBU division known as Root. You as well, Haruno-san. I need as many recruits as I can muster."

"I will, Danzo-sama." Sakura nodded. "The extra training won't hurt, and besides, someone has to look out for this knucklehead."

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto deflated.

"I'm honored to have the Hero of Konoha as one of my allies." Danzo cut in as he stood and extended his good hand. "I look forward to working with and training you, Naruto-san."

"Thank you, Danzo-sama." Naruto said while grasping the older man's hand in a handshake.

Oh, this was too good to be true. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki willingly joining Root as an escape from his now hostile friends? Inwardly, Danzo began to celebrate, as he was just given his victory on a giant silver platter. All that was left was to train him, bring him to heel, make him obedient. The Haruno girl was just an added bonus, as she seemed to be holding Naruto's figurative leash. Very good, he'd bend and mold them both into true Root ANBU and he'd use them to further secure his victory.

' _Are you watching me now, Hiruzen? I've won…'_ Danzo mused to himself while keeping a neutral outward appearance.

 **(Konoha: Two months later)**

"Senju Tsunade is dead, then?" Asked the Fire Daimyo through the TV he was sitting in front of.

"Hai, Daimyo-sama." One Nara Shikaku confirmed. "She died this morning, bedridden ad a result of her injuries sustained during the fight with the Akatsuki Leader."

"Then the time has come… we need a new Hokage."

"I agree." Koharu nodded. "Have we any nominations?"

"I nominate Uzumaki Naruto." Came Danzo's reply and suddenly, all eyes were on him.

"The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki?" The Fire Daimyo queried, a thoughtful look on his face.

"He's the son of our late Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. More than that, he's the Hero of Konoha, he fought the Akatsuki Leader and defeated him. That proves that he can fight on par with the best of us." Aburame Shibi added to Danzo's nomination.

"And his leadership skills have improved as of late." Yamanaka Inoichi noted. "He's quickly risen through the ranks first as a Chuunin, then as a Jounin shortly after. And now he's one of our best ANBU."

"He seems to be a competent teacher as well." Homura supplied. "He's helped train that Haruno girl, Sakura, into a rather fine ANBU also."

"The Will of Fire burns brightly in him." Danzo decided to defend his nomination. "I have no doubt that he can only grow even more powerful from here."

"I nominate Hatake Kakashi!" Shikaku quickly cut in, making Danzo narrow his eyes at the Nara.

"The Yondaime's last surviving student?" Inuzuka Tsume asked.

"He's far more experienced than Naruto is." Shikaku defended. "He's a veteran of the Third Great Shinobi World War and he's been decorated time and again for his heroism. He's our most experienced Jounin and he's more than eligible for at least a consideration."

"Naruto happens to be our Jinchuuriki." Danzo shot back. "What better way to keep an eye on him than to make him our Hokage, like Suna did by making their Jinchuuriki their Godaime (Fifth) Kazekage? We'd have near constant watch on him, the village would have their hero to look up to as their new leader, and even though he may be young, he has more room to grow than Hatake-san, who has undoubtedly reached his peak."

"Well, what does our Daimyo think?" Koharu asked while turning to the TV.

"… Uzumaki Naruto." The Daimyo decided. "I have decided that Uzumaki Naruto shall take Tsunade's place and become the Rokudaime (Sixth) Hokage."

"Shikaku-san, if you would have the Jounin vote on this matter?" Homura asked, or rather commanded Shikaku to do.

"… Hai, Homura-sama." Shikaku sighed as he leaned back in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 **(Root Base: An hour later)**

There stood Naruto, now dressed in an ANBU's armor, plus a hooded black cloak draped around his frame and the customary tattoo upon his right shoulder. Beside him was Sakura, who was also wearing ANBU armor and had the same tattoo upon her left shoulder. She had let her hair grow out slightly within these two months and it now reached down to just above her shoulder blades. Sai stood to his left in the same armor, but he was lacking the tattoo.

On cue, all three took a knee as Danzo and two of his Root guards walked into the base.

"Things have gone according to plan, Naruto." Danzo spoke as the three then rose. "The Daimyo has decided that you are to become the Rokudaime Hokage and now the Jounin are voting as we speak. They will no doubt vote for you, their hero."

"Here we go…" Sakura chuckled. "A knucklehead in charge. We're doomed!" She smirked at her friend.

"Shut up." Naruto smiled back at her while playfully pushing her.

"Before you become Hokage, Naruto…" Danzo interrupted. "I need to know something."

"Of course, Danzo-sama." Naruto nodded.

"What do you intend to do about Uchiha Sasuke?"

Naruto paused. "Well…" He began to hesitate. "I'd give him one more chance to come back."

"And if he refuses?"

"Then we kill him." He replied without hesitation this time.

"I agree." Sakura said, mildly shocking Danzo. Truly, the pinkette had matured greatly in the two months and it astounded the War Hawk to no end that she was willing to kill her 'Sasuke-kun'.

"Very well, then." Danzo nodded. "Enjoy your time as Hokage, Naruto. And do your predecessors proud. We'll be in touch." With a wave of his hand, Danzo got rid of the Curse Seals hidden beneath his and Sakura's tongues, thereby effectively releasing them from their obligations to Root.

Before passing by Sai, Danzo also waved his hand and Sai could feel his own Curse Seal disappearing.

"Danzo-sama?" Sai asked in confusion.

"He'll need a competent advisor by his side. I know of no one better for the job." Was all the War Hawk said before silently walking away.

"Well…" Naruto sighed with a smile. "All we need to do now is wait until there's a consensus." He then began to head for the exit to the base, where Sakura and Sai fell into step behind him.

 _As we expected, I did indeed become Hokage, by a landslide, no less. Within the week, I was inaugurated and I accepted the hat. It was one of the best moments in my life, and I still consider it one of my more treasured memories. Sakura and Sai were by my side when I accepted the hat, and I didn't know it at the time, but the way Sakura looked at me… all I knew back then was that there was something different in how she looked at me. She seemed to smile more while she was with me, laugh louder, fumble over her words when I teased her. I didn't know what it was back then, but I eventually found out… she had fallen completely, head over heels in love with me. She… had actually moved on from Sasuke and saw me in a different light._

 **(Konoha: Midnight: A month after inauguration)**

Loud laughter filled the night air of Konoha as their new Hokage and his chief advisor leaped and bound from rooftop to rooftop, with Naruto ahead of the pinkette in an impromptu race of sorts.

"Too slow, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called back to her as he jumped to another roof, his new black duster flapping in the wind behind him.

"I don't care about the race anymore!" Sakura said through her giggles. "It just feels good to get out of the Mansion for once!"

"Don't I know it?!"

Eventually, they made their way to the outskirts of Konoha, to Training Ground #3, where Team 7 had originally been formed three short years ago.

"Nostalgic…" Naruto sighed. "Three years. Has it really been that long?"

"I can scarcely believe it." Sakura agreed. "So much has changed since those days…"

"The both of us included." Naruto nodded. "I'm Hokage now, you're my chief advisor, along with Sai, Sasuke's gone rogue and is working with Akatsuki, and… we have to kill him."

"I know." Sakura sighed. "Sad that it's come to that, but it has to be done."

"You're getting all serious again." Naruto smiled while lightly pushing her before he took a seat on a nearby log. "I like it when you smile, and that frown is unbecoming of you."

"W-Well… I… I mean, it's…" She began to ramble on with a tint of red adorning her cheeks. "Wait… you like my smile?"

"And your hair. You've grown it back out. Brings out the vividness of your eyes and it frames that forehead of yours perfectly."

"M-My forehead…" She then cast her look downwards.

"It's not ugly in any way. It's… rather charming, actually. And your hair is cut at just the right length where it just…" He paused, his own cheeks gaining a blush. "Makes you look beautiful…"

"You… think I'm… beautiful?" She asked, her eyes wide and her full attention now on her Hokage.

"Y-Yeah… though you probably hear that all the time, especially from Lee… and from me, way back when I had that crush on you."

"Do you… still have it? That crush, I mean?"

"… What does it matter? There are tons of guys out there that are better than me, Sakura-chan. You deserve better."

"What if…" She began as she took a seat beside him. "What if… I said I had a crush?"

"Then I would say that he's a lucky man, whoever he is."

"W-What if… what if the man I had a crush on… was sitting right beside me right now?" Naruto's head whipped to his right at hearing this. "A-And… what if this crush… was not a crush at all? What if this crush… was true love?"

"S-Sakura-chan… you can't mean…"

"Hai, I do…" She then leaned into him a bit more, her eyes half lidded. "Uzumaki Naruto… I… I love you."

That was it. That's all it took. Once her confession came out, they both had leaned in fully and captured each other's lips in a soft, slow kiss that seemed to blur out everything else in the world save for each other. Her right hand went up to caress his whiskered right cheek while his right hand began to run through her long pink hair. They remained tongue tied for a few more seconds before Naruto broke the kiss and softly leaned his forehead onto hers and looked straight into her eyes.

"I've loved you for the longest time, Sakura-chan. And I promise you this: I'm yours from now on until I draw my last breath. Nothing will come between us, not as long as I draw breath."

"I know you mean it, Naruto-kun… and I want to remain by your side. Now and forever."

At hearing those words, Naruto dove in for another kiss, which Sakura readily and greedily accepted. For the first time in his life, Naruto felt truly happy and truly _accepted_. He would be damned if he'd let this go.

 _That was the beginning of something great… or I thought so back then, at least. Shortly after Sakura and I got together, the Akatsuki resurfaced with a man by the name of Obito Uchiha leading them. He had taken over as the Leader and was threatening to start the Fourth Great Shinobi World War. A Kage's Summit was called and as Hokage, I had an obligation to show up. While negotiating on how to take care of the Akatsuki once and for all, Obito attacked… and Sasuke was with him. Things soon went to shit after that. People died and… and this is where the story takes a turn for the worse. It's how I came to this dimension…_

"You're the last one living now, Naruto." Sasuke smirked as Naruto held a dying Sakura in his arms. "We've won."

"Some Hokage you turned out to be." Obito chuckled as he removed his orange mask. "A disgrace to that title."

"D-Don't listen to them, Naruto-kun…" Sakura managed to say before coughing up an amount of blood, which mingled with the blood that was pouring out of Naruto's right eye socket, where his right eye should have been.

"Don't speak, Sakura-chan… preserve your strength!"

"You're both dead anyways." Sasuke shrugged. "The dead last and his slut, dying together… how pathetic."

"Sakura-chan… I have to leave you for a few minutes…" Naruto growled out. She knew that tone, she knew that look, and despite the pain, she managed a smile.

"Go… go give them hell…" She managed to say before Naruto laid her softly upon the ground and stood.

"A last stand, huh?" Obito hummed. "It seems you're not totally hopeless after all."

"I got just one more surprise up my sleeve…" Naruto smirked as he spun out the one kunai that made Obito's eyes widen in fear.

"It can't be!" He managed to say before both he and Sasuke turned to find Naruto behind them both, kunais at both of their throats.

"You let your guards down… and now you're dead." Naruto said before violently dragging his twin kunais across their throats. Splashes of crimson stained the floor, followed by the bodies of both Uchihas as they clattered down, eyes widened in shock. "Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)… was a success…"

" **You haven't won yet!"** Bellowed a dark voice as a black mass shot up out of the ground and attached itself to Obito's corpse, which then began to stand up, albeit on wobbly legs. The Rinnegan in his left eye socket began to glow while the Sharingan in his right eye socket began to spin.

"Zetsu?!" Naruto exclaimed in shock before a third eye appeared in what seemed to be Zetsu's forehead, suspended within the blackness. It was another Sharingan, Obito's left eye that had been taken from Kakashi's corpse.

" **Things will run smoother if you just disappeared!"**

The vortex that was Kamui began to surround Naruto in an instant, thanks to Obito's left eye.

' _No Chakra left… Dammit! Gotta rush him and hope to Kami that I can outpace the Kamui!'_ Naruto's thoughts raced in urgency as he gripped his twin kunais and rushed headlong at Zetsu/Obito.

First, the kunai in his left hand was sucked in and then the gravity around him began to lessen. Even still, he made it to Zetsu just in time and began to desperately claw at the third eye, managing only to gouge out Obito's right eye in the process. With one Sharingan taken care of and currently being held in his left hand, Naruto brought his kunai to bear upon the third eye, but was stopped when he himself began to be sucked into the vortex.

" **Goodbye, Uzumaki!"** Zetsu called out with a cackle.

While being sucked in, Naruto managed one last look behind the reanimated corpse of Obito to see if Sakura was alright. His remaining eye widened when he saw that she was no longer breathing and she had an amount of blood leaking out of the corners of her mouth, and yet… a smile on her face. She was dead and that alone was enough to freeze any action that Naruto would have took, not that he could have done anything more than struggle in vain as the Kamui consumed him. That was the last thing he saw before his world faded into darkness.

 _My name is Naruto Uzumaki… and this is my story._

 **AN: Whelp, there it is. As you may have noticed, Naruto lost his right eye and managed to gouge out Obito's right eye and keep said eye. That being said, yes, Naruto will have one Sharingan eye and one regular eye, sort of like Kakashi. And, of course, he will be ending up in Remnant thanks to the Kamui putting him there. Like with Rose Petals, the pairing is undecided for this one, but I have a better idea of who I want him to end up with. Regardless, I want your input. Who do you think this dark, chessmaster, Sharingan-wielding Naruto should ultimately end up with? Note that it might not be a harem, but I'm open to ideas… just don't expect a harem from the word go. This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Hello and Goodbye, Partner**

Another day gone within the blur that was Naruto's life. It had been about a month since he had landed in the world, called Remnant from what he could gather. Upon waking up from the darkness that consumed him, and upon noticing that he managed to save Obito's right eye, he had implanted said orb into his eye socket and found that he could actually change between its inactive form, its active form and the Mangekyou form, which he considered to be very useful, as he still remembered Kakashi trying to use a constantly active Sharingan. The second thing he did was break down after the adrenaline had worn off. Reality had caught up with him and he remembered that Sakura was dead, Zetsu had most likely gone through with whatever plans it had and that he was now trapped within an unknown and totally new dimension all together. He had failed as a Hokage and now his world was totally lost to him. Hopefully, this world would fare much better. And finally, the last thing he noticed was, much to his dismay, he now had a pair of yellow fox ears atop his head, but no tail, thankfully. This confused the hell out of him and coaxed a huge amount of laughter from the Kyuubi, which Naruto had learned the name of. Kurama had found it hysterical that his Jinchuuriki now had to live with a ridiculous pair of ears… and then found it demeaning when the local racists began to berate the blonde, calling him a "Faunus". So much for this world being better than his last.

And then there was the Grimm. Apparently, this world was infested with the blighted creatures and had been for a very long time. Of course, they posed little threat to a Shinobi of Naruto's caliber, but alas, the inhabitants of this world were not Shinobi or Kunoichi, just regular humans that could barely harness their "Aura" as they called it. The way Naruto understood it, "Aura" was their word for Chakra, and yet they weren't the same, just shared some similarities here and there. Where Naruto's Chakra Network pumped a constant flow of Chakra throughout his body, a person's Aura came from harnessing the power of his or her own soul, and the extremely adept (or lucky in some cases) users could take it to the next level by using what was known as a Semblance. To Naruto, Aura was a watered down version of Chakra and a Semblance was basically an advanced Chakra Nature, possibly a Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Limit). That being said, he was impressed by the people who called themselves Hunters. Huntsmen and Huntresses were the Special Forces who specialized in combating the Grimm and they were damn good at their job. Though Naruto had initially wondered why they were all regarded as heroes, he quickly came to grasp the idea that not everyone was cut out to fight creatures such as the Grimm every day of their life, and he respected each and every one of them for what they chose to do with their lives… but at the same time, ever since he had lost both his girlfriend and his world, things began to look darker and darker for Naruto. His outlook on life was becoming increasingly cynical and he could feel himself becoming increasingly apathetic to just about everything… he just didn't care about anything anymore, he could feel his dark side coming to light, he could hear the whispers for him to give in, and eventually… he did. There was too much injustice in this new world called Remnant. The Faunus were being oppressed and, in most cases, criminally violated, the Four Kingdoms were more focused on making money and more worried about their own public images than fighting the Grimm and the worst atrocity of all… the Hunters were being regulated by the Four Kingdoms instead of being their own separate entity, which Naruto believed they should have been. Sure, they still fought the Grimm, but in most cases they were used for off-the-book clandestine missions against the Kingdoms themselves or against anything else that threatened the Kingdom's power. Naruto had decided early on that change had to come, but he had to bide his time. So, he placed himself on the market as a mercenary of sorts and had made a respectable amount of Lien, which was Remnant's primary form of currency, in the process.

We could currently find our blonde Faunus lying happily in his bed. He was currently residing in a relatively small town in northern Vale which was in turn located in a rather expansive snowy forest (the one from the Red Trailer). It was secluded, which most suited Naruto's current needs. He had been using this place, which he later came to know as the town of Frostback, as his temporary home base. As Naruto lazily slept in his bed, a ringing sound filled the air. Cracking his onyx black right eye open, he saw that his Scroll was ringing. So, with a groan, he reached over to his night stand, took the object and answered the call.

"Yeah?" Naruto groggily said.

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Came the voice on the other end of the line, a man.

"Speaking. Who is this?"

"My name is Adam Taurus. I got your contact information from one of your regular clients, one Hei Xiong."

"And why would Junior pass along my name to you?"

"I represent an organization you may or may not be familiar with. The White Fangs?"

And now everything clicked into place. "I see. Then the purpose of this call is to set up a meeting with me, to try and recruit me into the Fangs?"

"Very astute of you, Naruto. Indeed, I wish to try and recruit you. All I ask is for a meeting; I'll leave the decision to join up to you."

"Very well, Adam. You have your meeting. Time and place?"

"The diner down the road from your apartment, ten minutes."

The call then ended and Naruto had to stifle a laugh. This Adam Taurus was good, it seemed. Good enough to track him to Frostback, at least. It was fortuitous that Adam had called, really.

' _Time to move on to phase two…'_ Naruto inwardly mused as he swung himself out of bed and quickly dressed himself.

His attire now consisted of a black tank top over which was a white long-sleeved t-shirt that had a black bar running down both sleeves, black circling the collar and the hem and a stylized image of a black longsword pointing down with black flames streaming off of it and a black Uzumaki swirl on the back. Adorning his hands were a pair of fingerless black leather gloves that held an electric blue circle upon their palms and from the pair of circles sprouted out five lines of the same color, one for each finger. Black cargo pants adorned his lower half, along with a utility belt that held a holster upon the lower back, slanted towards his right hip, two notches on either hip and plenty of pouches filled with whatever he needed and a silver hourglass as its belt buckle. Black combat boots were his choice of footwear and strapped to the right boot was a sheathe to a dagger of some kind. Hanging from his neck was a silver amulet of professional make and it had a sapphire set in as its centerpiece.

With his clothing picked out for now, Naruto moved on to his weapons. Opening his closet once again, he pulled out a couple of cases, one that stood about 5'4" to his 5'7" and another one, much smaller than the first, and laid them both upon his bed. Opening the smaller one first, Naruto smirked at the beauty of a pistol therein. It was a 10mm semi-automatic pistol with a black finish to the metal, rubber grips and improved iron sights with a built in muzzle brake and a slightly extended barrel, plus a long slide. He had named this pistol Eclipse for its mostly black color, but also because whenever he fired it, it emitted a black muzzle flash because of the Dust rounds he was most fond of using.

Taking Eclipse out of its case, he slid it into the holster upon his lower back with the grip of the pistol pointed towards his right hip for easy access, then filled a couple of his pouches with the clips he had for it. Once done, he opened the second case and a smirk once again upon seeing his twin katanas, Akai (Red) and Kuroi (Black), which were aptly named. Akai was a katana that had a pure red blade and a black sheathe and Kuroi was a katana that had a stark black blade and a red sheathe. See, these were Naruto's temporary weapons, as he was currently in the process of building his main weapon which would eventually replace his katanas, but for now, they would do nicely, and they had indeed served him well. After taking the katanas out of the case, he notched Akai upon his right hip and Kuroi upon his left, then took out the last blade that shared the case with the katanas. It was a dagger that was completely black and had a curved blade with two protrusions along the grip, one nearer the knuckled and the other at the base of the grip (Think Skyrim's version of the Blade of Woe). This dagger he named Ketsu (Blood) and this was the dagger that fit in the boot sheathe, where he promptly put it.

With his weapons now in place, Naruto then made his way out of his apartment after wrapping a red scarf around his neck to help fight the cold weather outside. Once outside, he made the rather short walk to the diner Adam had specified and entered said establishment. The owner of the place knew him and immediately cued up his regular order of a bacon cheeseburger loaded with everything and a side of fries. Taking one of the empty booths, Naruto was content to wait in the warmth for his guest and it didn't take long for both his burger to arrive, as well as the ten minute mark to end. Down to the very last second, a man wearing a black suit and a white Grimm mask walked in and scanned the crowd for a few seconds before being waived over to the booth by Naruto. Trailing him was a girl of around 16 years old who had waist-length black hair and a bow tied atop her crown with striking amber eyes. With one sniff, Naruto could already tell she was a Faunus, but it wasn't his business to ask why she was hiding her cat ears.

"A pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Uzumaki." Adam greeted as he slid into the seat opposite of Naruto. "I see you wasted no time getting comfortable while waiting for us." At this point, the girl had taken a seat beside Adam.

"I'm on rather good terms with the owner of this diner." Naruto admitted. "She knows my usual order, so she just rang me up as I entered. Who am I to refuse?"

"Indeed." Adam nodded.

"And I would be a poor host if I did not offer you two a spot of lunch. Shall you both have anything? I'll have her put it on my tab."

"Just a steak for me. Medium-well, thank you."

"And your friend?"

"Blake… Blake, he means you." Adam muttered to the now identified Blake, who was fascinated by Naruto's whiskers, and by fascinated, she was lightly blushing.

"U-Uhh…" Blake stammered. "A tuna sandwich, please."

"So…" Naruto began after popping a fry into his mouth. "You wish to enter into a… partnership." He decided against referring to the White Fangs by name, since they were in a public place.

"A partnership that I believe would be beneficial to us both." Adam nodded. "My… associates believe you to be a valuable asset. You're one of the very few of our species that has had any modicum of success. You're something of an icon to those of us who know who you are and how you've gained your fame. I also have it on good authority that you've been seeking to expand your operations."

"Junior told you that much, did he?" Naruto sighed. "We gotta renegotiate the meaning of 'discretion'."

"This is what we're offering: You join us and we provide you with the expansion you've been seeking. You gain what you want while we gain a local icon. It's a win-win."

"And what of Blake here, if I may ask?"

"What of her?"

"Are you her mentor? What is she to you?"

"She's… sort of my student, I guess." Adam admitted, completely oblivious to Blake's blush. "To be honest, I have my hands full dealing with my associates and out needs. What's your interest in her?"

"On the condition that she become my apprentice, then I accept your offer."

"Hmm…" The ram Faunus adopted a contemplative stance. "Blake, what do you think?"

"I uh…" She began to blush again. "I don't care either way, Adam. I'm fine staying with you or going with him."

"And why do you need an apprentice, exactly? You both are the same age, surely there's nothing that you could teacher that she doesn't already know."

Naruto had to stifle a chuckle at that, and he did it expertly. "Perhaps I used the incorrect term." He offered. "I'm looking for a partner more than I am an apprentice."

"Well… she _is_ ready to take on more responsibilities…" Adam pondered. "Very well. Welcome to the family, Naruto." He then extended his right hand, to which Naruto accepted and promptly shook it. About that time, Adam's steak and Blake's tuna sandwich had arrived and the three then dug into their food discussing the finer points of the deal, as well as more frivolous things, getting to know one another. An hour and a half had gone by before all three had finished their meals, at which point Adam had bade his farewell and left Blake with Naruto.

"So…" Naruto began as he and his new partner waked back to his apartment. "Partners…"

"Yeah…" Blake, at this point, was buried in a book she had brought with her, the first volume of the _Ninjas of Love_ series.

' _Ero-Sennin, if you were here right now, you'd be begging me to jump her...'_ Naruto mused to himself upon reading the title of the Icha Icha-like series.

Seeing as Blake was engrossed in her smut, Naruto had a few good minutes to just drink in her exotic beauty. He could tell that she was more lethal than she was letting on, but at the same time, he could sense a softer side to her, a side that she rarely ever let see the light of day for fear of being called soft or uncommitted to the White Fangs and their goals. Mingled with the lethality and hidden softness was fear. Fear of being found out, fear of being too weak, fear of being found wanting, fear of… being alone? In the process of reaching out with a bit of Nature Chakra to read her, Naruto was finding her vulnerabilities and one such was a fear of being alone. Blake was more complicated than he gave her credit for and at that moment, he knew he made the right choice in his selection of a partner.

On the other side of things, Blake was still nose-deep into her smutty novel, but that was merely a distraction from the blonde beside her. He was mostly an enigma to her; she couldn't get a good read on him. She was normally good at reading people, but Naruto seemed to always be on guard, not letting any weakness or vulnerabilities show, he always had his figurative armor on. There was one thing, however, that she knew was fake. It was the look in his mismatched eyes. Behind the complete heterochromia, which she oddly enough found to be charmingly intoxicating to look at, was a broken shell of a man that had been through many eons worth of pain and came out none the better. There was a darkness behind Naruto's blue and black eyes, a darkness that made her shiver, that made her fear for her very life… but at the same time, that same darkness was not necessarily pointed at her, it was mainly directed at the world itself. Naruto was a very intriguing person to her and she was glad that he had picked her as his partner.

One thing was for sure: Things would be very interesting for the both of them.

 **(Three Months Later: White Fang Atlas Chapter: Noon)**

Kick, punch, punch, kick, punch, punch, kick… it was the same routine that she had gone through for three months prior and it was the same set that he was effortlessly weaving his way around. Naruto had fit in quite nicely with the White Fangs and he and Blake had hit it off as partners from the word go. They complimented each other. Naruto was the frontline fighter while Blake served as his backup and shadow. They seemed to feed off of each other and when one came up with a strategy in the middle of a battle, the other would instantly adapt to it, evident in their daily sparring matches which Naruto had suggested to keep them sharp.

He was currently in nothing but his tank top, pants and boots while Blake was sporting a similar tank top, had foregone her bow and was wearing a pair of white gym shorts. Sweat was pouring off of the two of them as they went through their routine before Naruto decided to kick things into high gear.

Going in for a right snap jab, he hit nothing but air as Blake leaned her head out of the way and brought her own right fist around for a punch. Grabbing ahold of her fist with his left hand, Naruto pulled her in closer to him to throw her off balance and tried to take her to the floor with a leg sweep, but at the last minute, she wrapped her right leg around Naruto's left and fell to the floor with him landing on top of her, where she then quickly swung around and trapped his right arm in an arm bar. Lightly chuckling, he tapped the mat with his left hand, signaling his defeat. As they both rose, a round of applause was sent their way from the white Fang members that were watching. Their little sparring matches had always attracted attention and had even prompted a little betting pool around them, with Naruto usually being the odds-on favorite. Today, however, Blake was the winner.

"You let me have that." She huffed out while drying herself off with a towel she retrieved from her gym bag.

"Gotta let you have a victory here and there once in a while, Blake." Naruto managed a smirk.

"Yeah." She lightly scoffed. "And I want to earn that victory, not have it given to me."

"Keep pushing yourself, Blake. You'll be able to beat me one of these days."

"Naruto!" Came the voice of Adam.

"Yeah?" Naruto hollered back.

"Got a mission for you and Blake! Wash up and gear up!"

"Duty calls." Blake sighed.

"As always." Naruto agreed.

 **(Three Months Later: Vale City: Midnight)**

"Please!" Begged one person. "Let us go!"

"You enslave my species, you discriminate against us, you support the Schnee Dust Company and now you have the audacity to beg to be let go?!" Raged none other than Naruto through his full-face black and white Grimm mask as he pointed Eclipse at the man's head. "No mercy shall be given today! Now, I want Rickon Schnee to show himself right now! Or else I kill the lot of you!"

"Fine!" Rickon yelled out as he stood. Rickon Schnee, younger brother of the current CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, Jon Schnee. A worthy target for the White Fangs. "Here I am, just let these people go!"

"Oh, my dear Schnee!" Naruto began to chuckle. "You didn't think I'd really keep my word, did you?!"

BOOM!

A resounding gunshot reverberated off of the walls of the warehouse they all were in as Naruto pulled the trigger on his hostage, then levelled Eclipse at Rickon.

"Let the massacre begin, boys!" Naruto hollered out, prompting his squad of White Fang underlings to open fire while Naruto himself pulled the trigger on Rickon, hitting the man square in the chest with that oh so powerful 10mm round. The man's life was extinguished, along with the thirty or so people with him.

In seconds, the massacre was over and Naruto's Lieutenant stepped up.

"What are we to do with the Schnee bastard's body, sir?" Asked the Lieutenant.

"Take his head, send it to Jon. Burn the rest, along with this building." Naruto coldly stated as he holstered Eclipse.

"Yes, sir."

Later, while being debriefed by Adam, a certain cat Faunus would learn of her partner's hand in the massacre and this would be her turning point. Naruto's darkness was being drawn out now and the White Fang as a whole was making a turn for the worse. But, she just couldn't abandon them, could she?

 **(Six Months Later: Forever Fall Forest: Schnee Train)**

Naruto swiped Akai to the side to rid it of the blood before sheathing it and nodding at his handiwork. He had ambushed the train ahead of Adam and Blake to rid it of its human operators and engineers, leaving only the mechs to deal with. Gunfire then filled the rear cars as Naruto rushed to help his partners. By the time he arrived, Adam had finished off the big mech, but Blake was standing to the side on another car grasping the hilt of Gambol Shroud.

"Blake…" Naruto began. "What are you doing?"

"Don't Blake!" Adam yelled to her.

Amber eyes met blue and onyx as the amber orbs hardened. Blake brought Gambol Shroud down onto the lynch between the two cars and sliced it in half, separating the still moving half from her half, which was now drifting to a stop.

"Goodbye…" She said to them both, the widened her eyes when Naruto withdrew eclipse and levelled it at her.

A hesitation. Why was he hesitating? He _never_ hesitated! His right index finger picked lightly at the trigger and his hand began to shake. He couldn't. Why couldn't he? He should pull the trigger by all rights, she was a traitor now, but… he couldn't bring himself to do it. He slowly lowered his hand and opted instead to glare right back into those amber eyes that he had grown accustomed to. She could make her own choices now. They were both seventeen now, they both had a year to grow together, they both had made their choices.

Blake then clutched her heart as she saw Naruto lower Eclipse and she bit down on her lower lip. Something inside of her was aching, something inside of her was in pain… something inside of her was bringing her to tears at having to abandon Naruto. She knew not what… no, she knew what it was, she just didn't want to acknowledge it, she was better off without it.

"Goodbye… Blake…" Naruto muttered softly as he holstered Eclipse.

"Why would she do this, Naruto?!" Asked a bewildered Adam.

"I have no idea… but one thing's for sure. I will pursue her. She was my partner, so she's my responsibility."

"She's a secondary priority now, you know that."

"Yeah…" Naruto sighed.

"We need to deal with _her_ now."

"The Queen has revealed herself…"

 **AN: So, as you all can see, things started out a year before Canon and I filled it with a bit more exposition, just to set things up. What was that emotion Blake was feeling? I bet you all know! That being said, I'm seriously contemplating the pairing being Blake for this one, but at the same time, I rather fancy Neo as well. Cinder's not an option, as I have plans for her. What do you guys think? Blake or Neo? Next chapter will be at the relative start of Canon, so look forward to that, and let me know who you want for the pairing! This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Burning Gold and Tasting Ice Cream**

"Something big must be coming." The one and only Junior Xiong muttered as he poured a shot of whiskey for the two people sitting at the bar in front of him. "With the both of you in the same spot, _she_ must have something planned."

"Queen Bitch wishes it was her plan." Snorted Roman Torchwick as he slammed back his shot. "The mastermind is none other than my companion here."

"Glorifying me already, Roman?" Naruto chuckled as he also threw back his shot. "That was rather quick."

"You're a vast improvement over Queen Bitch, kid. I'd sooner follow you than her. Damn bitch is downright creepy, with her glowing clothes and shit. And the fireballs! Someone call the fire marshal, goddamn it!"

"You're drunk, Roman." Junior had to stifle his own chuckle.

"And very proud of it!" He slurred as he raised his empty shot glass and drank the invisible liquid that only he could see.

"And to answer your question, Junior, I may or may not have a few tricks up my sleeve." Naruto said after throwing back the next shot that Junior had just poured for him.

"My information network is yours, as always, Naruto." Junior then reached into one of his pants pockets to pull out his Scroll. "In fact, I may have something here that may be beneficial."

"Is this what I think it is?" Asked our blonde Faunus as he scrolled through the lists of people that Junior had presented him with.

"A complete list of Beacon Academy's first-year hopefuls, the crème of the crop, plus a VIP list of those who I believe have the highest chance of making it through whatever this years' Initiation will be."

"Junior, you magnificent bastard…"

"I thought you'd like that. Free of charge."

"Definitely will be useful." Naruto then paused to send the lists to his own Scroll before handing Junior's back.

"Hey…" Slurred a drunken Roman. "Someone drank my booze…"

"That someone was you, Torchwick." Groaned Junior.

"Damn… that sucks…"

"Alright, Roman." Naruto cut in as he motioned for a couple of Junior's men. "These gentlemen will be taking you home. Sleep this off, ok?"

He received no audible reply from Roman, who was hoisted from his barstool and led out of the establishment.

"Jeez, I know I said that we'd be taking it easy tonight, but I think Roman took it a bit too far." Naruto sighed once Roman had been taken care of.

"Compassion, Naruto?" Junior questioned. "You're going soft."

"Hardly." Naruto scoffed. "I take care of my people, and Roman has proven to be a loyal supporter."

"And what about _her_?"

"She's been… competent. Ruthless and driven, much like myself. But she's been constantly trying to find ways to undermine me so she can take control again. I think she's slowly coming around to my way of doing things, however, so until she proves she's unreliable, I'll keep her around. Besides…" Naruto then paused to glance to his right at the appearance of a short girl who had pink and brown hair with white highlights among the pink half of her hair and heterochromatic eyes, with one being brown and another being pink. "If she and I had never allied, I would have never met Neo here."

At the mention of her name, Neo leveled a smile at him. "Forever yours." She simply said, her voice silky smooth.

"She's sort of sworn herself to me, and I find it useful… and rather amusing, at times."

"I was under the impression that she worked directly under Roman." Junior commented as he began cleaning a few glasses.

"She used to until she met me. Ever since then, she's not left my side. Despite my uneasiness about her swearing herself to me, I'd not ask for a better companion. She's capable, strong, dependable, completely loyal… and rather cute."

"I'm stunning." Neo managed a playful smirk, which was leveled at Naruto once again.

"And short."

Her response was to stick her tongue out at him, and before he could retaliate, she disappeared back into her invisibility illusion. With an annoyed growl, Naruto opened his Scroll once again to look over the lists of Hunter hopefuls.

"Junior, you've already looked over the list." It was not a question and Junior knew it, so he merely nodded while cleaning a few more glasses. "Any you think I should keep my eyes on?"

"Well, Pyrrha Nikos of Sanctum is listed on there; you might want to keep tabs on her. Also… yep, there you go." He was about to mention someone else, but Naruto had just scrolled to her file.

"Weiss Schnee, huh?" Naruto mused with a dark smirk as he extended his Scroll into its tablet form. "The Heiress herself, a long way from home? After what I did to her Uncle? Either Jon _really_ hates her, or…"

"He's drawing you out with bait he thinks you can't ignore. "Junior finished with a nod. "Which probably means that Princess there has no idea that her daddy dearest is using her as bait. You could send Mr. Schnee another message or you could use this to your advantage by exposing his manipulations."

"Which also means I'd have to convince Weiss that I'm not a threat to her when she is acutely aware that I'm probably the biggest threat to her Father's company right now…" He paused to both sigh and throw back another shot. "We'll see how things play out, then I'll move my pieces and show my hand accordingly."

"Any other interesting prospects that I may have overlooked?"

"Well, there's a rather voluptuous blonde here by the name of Yang Xiao Long. Despite her file labeling her as a problem student, she graduated from Signal at the top of her class. A hidden genius, perhaps?"

"Adding her to the VIP list?"

"Yeah. She seems to have potential and I don't want any surprises coming to bite me in the ass because I was too lazy to properly look over their file… also, she smells heavily of leather and lemons."

"How do you know that?" Junior cast a questioning gaze over to his number one customer/friend.

"Because she's about to walk through the front doors." Naruto casually mentioned as he threw back yet another shot.

Glancing over to the front, Junior's eyes widened when, just as Naruto said, Yang came strutting through. Once the music of the club hit her, she seemed to add an extra bounce to her step and a sway to her hips and once her eyes landed on the bar, she saw a rather handsome blonde sitting there conversing with the bartender, who was the man she was looking for. She saw her fellow blonde throw back his shot glass and she had to suppress a sigh when she saw that he had heterochromia with his right eye being of the deepest black and the left a blue that reminded her of the oceans. She saw that he was a Faunus, but she didn't care one bit, on the contrary, she thought his fox ears made him cute and his whiskers gave him more of a feral appearance, made him seem more wild. Unconsciously, she licked her lips and added a bit more of a sway to her hips as she approached, not attempting to hide the fact that she was checking him out.

He was wearing a burnt orange t-shirt which had a stylized swirl pattern in the center of the chest in black (the Uzumaki clan crest), black faded jeans, a utility belt, black steel-toed boots, black fingerless gloves which seemed to be imbued with lightning Dust and a black leather duster which had two white bars running vertically down the arms and encircled the wrists and a silver amulet with a sapphire set in as its centerpiece around his neck.

"Junior… I think she's eye raping me." Naruto said as an aside to the bartender.

"Kid, she just mentally dressed and undressed you probably thirty times." Junior sent a smirk towards his friend.

"… No."

"You should…"

"Don't you dare say it…"

"Get inside her pants tonight."

"I said no!"

"You said it yourself: You'd be taking it easy tonight."

"And this is your definition of easy?!"

"Look at it like this: You share a few drinks with her, get her to unwind, get her in a bed, nail her and BAM! You have yourself an informant within Beacon and all you had to do was suffer through a one-night stand!"

"And you think that course of action hadn't occurred to me?" Naruto deadpanned.

"I'm just saying." Junior shrugged. "Beats having to actually work to get a spy in place when you could just as easily seduce your way into having a willing spy."

"Strawberry sunrise, no ice." Yang said as she settled into a stool to Naruto's left. "Oh, and one of those little umbrellas."

"Lightweight." Naruto snidely chuckled as he tossed back another shot.

"How many of those have you had now, kid?" Junior quirked an eyebrow.

"Eh, lost count. Not drunk yet."

"Then I'll have what he's having." Yang tossed a smirk over to her fellow blonde.

"Suit yourself." Junior shrugged as he took out another shot glass and slid it over to Yang.

"Allow me." Naruto offered as he took his bottle of whiskey and poured a generous amount into Yang's glass.

"Such a gentleman." She giggled as she threw back the shot glass. "So few of them left in today's time."

"Guilty as charged." Naruto returned her smirk.

"Let me guess why you're here, Blondie." Junior began.

"Which one?" Both Naruto and Yang asked in unison.

"The one that has a rack."

"That'd be me." Yang said, a slight frown marring her features at the crude way Junior said it.

"My guess is that you need information and you came here in hopes that I'd be able to shed some light onto whatever you need, correct?"

"So far, yeah."

"Then let's hear it."

"I'm looking for this person." She paused to pull up a picture of the person on her Scroll. "Seen her before?"

' _She's after Raven, then?'_ Naruto mused to himself. _'This could be trouble. If she knows who Raven is and is looking for her, then… oh, Raven, this must be why you tried to kill me… you're scared that I'd eventually get involved with your daughter, Miss Xiao Long here. Well, as they say, karma is a bitch…'_

"Sorry, Blondie, never seen her before." Junior responded with a negative shake of the head.

"What about you, Whiskers?" Yang asked, turning to Naruto.

"Can't say that I recognize her." Naruto lied. "Sorry."

"Damn." She hissed as she poured herself another shot and promptly drank it. "Yang Xiao Long, by the way." She said, turning towards Naruto once again.

"Minato Namikaze." Naruto lied once again by using his Dad's name, then saluted her with his now full shot glass and hammered back said shot. "And now I think I'm feeling something…"

"And all it took was three-quarters of a bottle." Junior sarcastically added with a smirk.

"Then, Mr. Namikaze…" Yang purred as she rose from her stool. "Would you care to dance? Club music and a good buzz go well together in my experience."

"As long as the company's good, then I'm down." Naruto stood from his stool also, his duster moving out of the way to give her a glimpse of two polished silver hilt-like objects hanging on either side of his belt, but her attention was stolen by the blonde once again when he led her to the dance floor.

Junior was about to say something snide, but a look from Naruto shut him up.

' _All part of the plan… Yang, you will be the catalyst for plenty of things to come and I will make sure you're wrapped tightly around my fingers. Karma is definitely a bitch, Raven, and you will soon learn this…'_ Was Naruto's dark thoughts as he and Yang began to lose themselves into the rhythmic beats of the music.

Time seemed to blur into the background for the pair of blondes as the music took them on a figurative journey, their eyes began to entrance each other, lilac innocently teasing cerulean and onyx, and the lilac was blissfully unaware of the pure malice behind the mismatched eyes. In his head, drowned out by the thrumming of the music, Naruto could hear Kurama's approving and encouraging laughs.

" **Manipulative bastard!"** Kurama laughed. **"I daresay I like this new persona of yours, kit! You'd make a natural Kitsune if you weren't a Ningen (Human) already!"** He paused to think about his wording, then began laughing hysterically again. **"Never mind, you already ARE a Kitsune! Ears and everything!"** Naruto then let out a groan that was thankfully drowned out by the music as he cut the connection to his oversized furry tenant.

Despite his intentions, Naruto was really enjoying himself. It had been a long time since he had time to cut loose like this, and it felt good. He could tell that Yang was feeling it as well, evident when they began to dance closer than they were previously. His hands moved to rest on her hips as she threw a glance over her left shoulder as she began to lightly grind on him.

Things were quickly heating up for the pair of blondes and the dancing was getting heavy… and Neo's temper was getting the best of her.

"Touching Naru…" She growled within her illusion. "MY Naru..."

As she was about to break her illusion and step in, Naruto's gaze caught her and her previous scowl turned into a smile when she realized that he was planning this out, that Yang was playing nicely into his hands, as a mere pawn should dance to its King's tune.

Yang was putty in his hands at this point. All that was left was to pull the trigger and she was his.

' _All according to plan…'_ Naruto mused once again with an outward smirk that went unnoticed by Yang. _'Checkmate…'_

" _ **Naruto-kun!"**_ Echoed someone's voice within Naruto's subconscious, a voice that froze all actions he would have taken.

"S-Sakura-chan…" He breathed out with widened eyes.

"Minato…" Yang let out a breathy moan as she turned into him, linking her hands behind his head, their breaths lingering with each other

" _ **Naruto-kun!"**_

"Mina…"

" _ **Naru-kun!"**_

"I… I can't!" Naruto declared as he pushed Yang off of him and made for the exit.

"Hey, pay your damn tab next time!" Junior called after him.

"M-Minato!" Yang also called after him, a blush still tinting her cheeks as she trailed behind him.

He was nowhere to be found. He had just disappeared. He had disappeared and left her standing there, immensely worried about him.

"Minato…"

 **(With Naruto: Same time)**

"Why can you not leave me alone?!" Naruto raged at seemingly nothing as he stood atop the roof of a nearby building, out of earshot of any passers-by below. "Have you not made me suffer enough?! Leave me be!"

" _ **Naruto-kun!"**_ Echoed Sakura's voice once again.

"Shut up!" Naruto clenched his eyes shut. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

" _ **Naruto-kun!"**_

"I said SHUT THE FUCK UP!" His eyes sprang open and his right eye had morphed into the Sharingan, its three tomoe spinning rapidly as it adjusted to the ethereal specter that was Sakura's ghost, then morphed into its Mangekyou form as the previously hazy image of the specter cleared up.

" _ **Until the day you die, Naruto-kun! You will always be mine and mine alone!"**_ Spoke the ghost.

"That vow ended when you died and our world was sent to oblivion! I am not the same man you fell in love with and I am not your Hokage anymore!" By this point, Naruto was raging at the spirit in his old language of Japanese. "You are nothing to me now except another memory that needs to burn with the rest of our world! Now BEGONE!"

With a spike of Chakra and but a gaze from his Mangekyou Sharingan, Naruto banished the specter of his dead girlfriend. The Mangekyou then gave way for its base three tomoe mode, which in turn dissipated into the onyx black of his right eye. He was out of breath, his legs were suddenly weak and the floor looked like a comfortable place to land at the moment. He did _NOT_ want to see Sakura again, she was a memory he wanted to forget and seeing her again sapped his will and his resolve.

He was suddenly falling towards the floor. He didn't try to stop it, he just wanted to lay down awhile, let the world drift away as he drifted to sleep. He just wanted a quick rest. Why had he not hit the floor yet? Why did he feel a pair of arms encircling him?

"Forever yours." A voice he recognized whispered into his ear.

"Neo…" Naruto managed to say as their heterochromatic eyes locked.

"Forever yours." She simply repeated herself, her tone and resolve not slipping in the slightest.

"… Forever yours." Naruto managed a small smile as he regained his footing and wrapped her up into his own hug. "A mutual promise between two broken souls… right?"

"Broken no more." Neo shook her head. "Together. We're complete."

" _ **Naruto-kun…"**_ Sakura's voice began to echo once again.

"Yeah…" He then brushed a stray hair out of Neo's face, which made her giggle. "We complete each other… together, we're not broken anymore."

There was no one around, the moon hung high in the air, it was quiet… but most importantly, there was no one around. And that's what sealed the deal for them.

After brushing another strand of hair from her face, Naruto closed the distance between them in a soft kiss to which Neo very greedily accepted, as she felt like this kiss was ridding him of whatever infection that other blonde harlot had given him. It was a soft kiss, but Neo was desperate and that made the kiss turn hungry. Naruto felt how ferocious she was getting, but he didn't mind. He returned the ferocity in kind which enticed a throaty moan from his girlfriend. Soon enough, they parted with a thin trail of saliva connecting them.

"Blonde girl…" She pouted cutely.

"All part of the plan, Neo." Naruto reassured her with another peck on the lips. "No one will ever replace you. No one."

"Blake…?"

That one name gave him pause. He was no fool; he knew full well that he and Blake fell in love with each other before her betrayal. If he was being honest, her betrayal wasn't something he didn't see coming, he knew Blake was going to run, it was something he planned on happening… but what he didn't plan on was his emotions getting in the way once she actually _did_ betray. He had someone else now, though. He had Neo, who was one of the most amazing women he had ever met and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved her… but Blake?

Blake was the first person he fell truly in love with after Sakura died and he was thrown from his world, and if he were being completely honest with himself… he still loved her, and he knew that she still loved him. Which led into the next problem he had to overcome. Blake was attending Beacon; she was one of the hopefuls. What was he going to do? Confront her? Convert her? Kill her?

Those thoughts were better left for later as Neo saw the far off look in his eyes and lightly nudged him, a quizzical look marring her features.

"Even Blake." Naruto finally answered with a reassuring smile. "I love you, Neo, and nothing will ever change that."

"Show me." She challenged with a glint in her eye.

Naruto's eyes reflected that same glint, and in an instant, they both disappeared off of the rooftop in a flash of yellow, instantly reappearing out of the Hiraishin in their apartment. She had already worked him out of his duster and resumed the lip lock while one of her hands went to work undoing his belt. Her jacket had been discarded, as had her necklaces and he was currently working on her corset.

Meanwhile, next door to them, the door opened and a very frustrated Yang the flopped onto her bed.

"Nothing, Sis?" Queried one other than Ruby Rose as she peeked over the edge of a book she was reading.

"Nothing… save for a rather handsome boy running out on me." Yang groaned as she shrugged herself out of her jacket, then walked into the bathroom to change into her pajamas.

"Dad wouldn't approve of you chasing after every guy you see, you know."

"Since when did you become a Daddy's girl? I seem to remember a time where you were just as rebellious as me." The blonde of the two sisters quipped as she once again collapsed onto her bed with a sigh.

"It was just a phase!" Ruby blushed as she shut her book and regarded her older sister at about the same time that a series of rather loud passion-filled moans echoed from the opposite room. "Yang, what's that noise?"

"What noise?" Yang was very nearly asleep.

"Sounds like a girl…"

"Huh?"

"From the room beside us, Yang! It's a girl!"

The moans began to pick up in pace and volume, and this was what sent Yang into action.

"Cover your ears, Ruby!" Yang demanded as she crossed the few odd feet between their beds, tackled her little sister into the mattress and clamped her hands around the redhead's ears. "You don't need to hear this!"

"Y-Yang!" Ruby protested. "Get off of me! Crushing me!"

The moans soon turned into screams of nothing but pleasure and this continued on for about a half hour before Yang had to clamp her hands even tighter around Ruby's ears.

"NA-NARUTOOOO~!" The voice of the girl screamed out in what Yang figured to be a very, _very_ satisfying and powerful orgasm.

"Damn…" She chuckled before she was pushed to the side of the bed by a madly blushing Ruby. "What's the matter, Rubes? You're almost as red as your hair."

"Y-Y-Your melons were in my face that entire time!" Ruby stuttered out. "I tried to tell you, but you zoned out! I had to endure being smothered by my own sister's melons!"

"They're called boobs, Ruby." Yang sent a teasing smirk to her sister as she gently cupped hers into her hands. "And one day, you'll have a beautiful set of these puppies, just like your dear old sister!"

"Yaaaaaaang!" Ruby whined out as she took it upon herself to clamp her own hands around her ears. "I don't wanna hear this!"

"Goodnight, Ruby!" Yang said in a singsong tone as she turned the lights off in their room, hopefully to get a good night's rest.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! YEEEESSSS~~!"

They did not.

 **AN: Well, it's as they say, beware the quiet ones. Yes, Neo has a voice and she'll only say a handful of words at once. If I had to compare her speech patterns to anything, it's be Chaika from Hitsugi no Chaika. And it also seems like Sakura just won't leave our blonde anti-hero alone, even in death. Expect Sakura to be a recurring thing, but not a regular occurrence. Also yes, as you all can see, I made the decision to have Neo be included into the pairing, but the second girl is still up in the air. Which leads me to ask this: Who should be the second girl? Or should there even be a third girl to make this a foursome?**

 **Right now, I'm leaning towards Blake for the second girl, but I want some feedback from you all! Second girl? Add a third? Who should they be and why? Give me some good, solid reasons to back your choice!**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry for the wait, people! Life got in the way once again, and I also wanted to make sure this chapter was up to snuff because of this long wait. A few changes to Canon await you this chapter, but I shan't spoil them or keep you much longer! ONWARDS!**

 **Chapter 4: We Meet Again…**

"You know…" Naruto sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose as the airship he was on lurched a bit. "I'm starting to regret bringing you along…"

"Hey, hey!" The person beside him raised his hands in defense. "You were bound to come begging me for help at some point! Can't leave your partner out of the loop here, can you?"

" _Blake_ was my partner. _You_ were her replacement." A headache was now starting to form.

"And I made a _damn_ good replacement, if I do say so myself!"

"I swear to almighty God, Frost…"

"Speaking of Blake…" Frost's demeanor changed minutely from jovial to serious, befitting the topic. "What are we going to do if we find her?"

"Leave her to me. She may not know it yet, but she's to play a part in my plans. So just take a backseat when and if we find her."

"Still can't believe you're actually gonna infiltrate Beacon yourself. I mean, I know that old man accepted you, unknowing of your alias, but still… this is crazy even by _my_ standards."

Yes, both Naruto and Frost were on the way to Beacon via an airship. Naruto had been personally evaluated and invited to attend by Ozpin himself, whereas Frost had applied and was accepted after his not-so-legit file was looked over. Thankfully, his forged documents passed inspection and he was accepted without any difficulty.

Speaking of Frost, he was a man who stood at an equal height to Naruto at 5'10" and was an equal age at 17. Also a snow fox Faunus and a member of the White Fang, most of their fellows considered them brothers, taking into account their similar stature and build… maybe also the fact that Frost had bleach white hair that seemed to be just as spiky as Naruto's, complete with a pair of white fox ears atop his crown. He had slightly pale skin, icy blue eyes, and two scars, a vertical one that ran down his chin and a horizontal one which went across his left cheek towards his chin.

His attire consisted of a simple short-sleeved white muscle shirt, black combat pants, a black leather utility belt which had two holsters on either side, white steel-toed boots that had black soles and laces, black fingerless gloves, a white leather jacket which was zipped up and had an image of a stylized black sabretooth tiger upon its back. Upon both of his ears were a pair of diamond studs and around his neck hung an amulet similar to Naruto's, but instead of a sapphire, a diamond was its centerpiece. Within the two holsters were a pair of silver semi-automatic pistols that, if he were to transform them, would turn into a pair of silver trench knives.

"If it's crazy to you, then I must be doing something right." Naruto shot a smirk over to his best friend.

"You _are_ doing something right. You landed a chick as hot as that Neo girl! Granted, she's a human, but she's hot for a human! Good on you, I say!"

"Meanwhile you're content with a life full of one-night stands and a future full of wondering if you're a Dad?"

"Pffft." Frost scoffed. "Life's way too short for regrets, so I say live it up while you can!"

"I still remember when Blake shot you down that one time…"

"Hey." He shrugged. "I had to give it a shot."

"Speaking of one-night stands…" Naruto began as he spotted a familiar blonde.

"Huh?" Frost followed Naruto's line of sight to where she was standing. "You? And _HER_?!"

"What? OH! No! Well… I mean, it very nearly did happen, but…" A light blush made its way to Naruto's cheeks to his own dismay.

"And does Neo know about this?"

"Neo was there when it nearly happened."

"…"

"…"

"… Horndog."

"Look who's fucking talking!" Naruto snapped.

"You're so easy to fuck with, bro." Frost smirked.

"M-Minato?!" Yang called out to Naruto in surprise as she all but plowed through a short redhead.

"Yang." Naruto inclined his head in a slight bow. "Fancy seeing you here of all places."

"What are you doing here?! And why did you run out on our dance last week?!"

"Minato? Seriously?" Frost deadpanned. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"I was borderline drunk, cut me some slack!" Naruto snapped at Frost before turning his attention back to Yang. "It seems that last week, I had a bit too much to drink and in my inebriated state, I might or might not have called myself by my Father's name."

"Then… what's your real name?"

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." He extended his hand towards the blonde brawler. "A pleasure to make your re-acquaintance, Yang."

"Pleasure's still all mine, Whiskers." Yang had to stop herself from purring as she shook his hand. "Who's your friend?"

"Frost Schwarz." Frost introduced himself and mock bowed. "I'm this idiot's long-time friend and also the more handsome of our duo."

"I don't know…" Yang tapped a playful finger against her chin. "Whiskers here's a natural blonde and he has those whisker marks…"

"He's also taken."

"…"

"…"

"… Huh?"

"About that, Frost…" Naruto began, his attention turned to his partner in crime. " _Nicole_ and I are no longer involved." He sent a stare to his fellow Faunus which screamed 'play along'. "We had a pretty big fight recently over which Academy I'd be attending. She wanted to go to Haven while I settled on Beacon. Needless to say, we've gone our separate ways."

"Ah. Damn." Frost feigned disappointment. "You two really did look good together."

"So, you're back on the market, eh?" Yang asked while unconsciously licking her lips.

"I… guess I am." Naruto concluded with a thoughtful look on his face before a short red figure shifted behind Yang. "Uhh… Yang? There's a tiny red blob behind you. Care to explain?"

"This…" Yang began while dragging the redhead out so she was standing in front of her. "Is my baby sister! Ruby, this is Naruto, the handsome blonde I mentioned who ran out on me."

"You're here to become a Huntsman as well?" Ruby asked after a hesitation.

"That's the plan." Naruto confirmed with a nod. "I was handpicked by Ozpin himself to join, whereas Frost here had to put in an application."

"Still pissed about that…" Frost faked anger for the sake of their charade.

"You can't be more than fifteen, Ruby." Naruto noted, opting to ignore his friend. "What did you do to get bumped up two years?"

"I uhh… I kinda stopped a Dust shop from being robbed."

' _So, it was her that tore through Roman's men… she's rather unassuming, but for her to get the drop on not only Roman, but Cinder as well… I need to keep a close eye on her.'_

"A little girl beat a bunch of grown men?" Frost asked, a laugh tugging at his voice to hide his own shock.

"That's what I said." Yang chimed in. "Though in my sister's own defense, she's anything but ordinary."

Before Naruto could respond, the hologram projectors onboard the airship lit up to reveal the image of a blonde woman who looked like she was into the librarian fetish fuel, though Naruto recognized her as Glynda Goodwitch. The image of the woman opened its mouth to speak, but instead began to flicker in and out a couple times before disappearing completely, causing a wave of murmurs to sound throughout the airship.

In place of the previous image of Glynda came another image of a man who was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with red highlights here and there underneath a deep silver breastplate which also had red highlights, simple black pants were tucked into a pair of deep red knee-high leather boots which were reinforced with silver armor over the knees and shins, black gloves covered his hands and were covered at the wrist and forearm by a pair of silver bracers which shared in the red highlights of the breastplate and reinforced knuckles. Around his waist sat a utility belt which had a silver hourglass as its belt buckle and a polished black steel object hanging from one of the loops by his left hip which looked like the hilt of some weapon, but there was no visible blade attached to it.

But the most striking feature about this man was what he wore over his face to obscure his identity. It was made from a black steel material which held the red highlights of the rest of his armor and it seemed to cover his entire head. It became angular and a bit jagged as it reached the area where his mouth was supposed to be and it continued to angle down to form a pseudo-chin. A straight line of what looked to be reinforced glass made up a visor which no one could see through, as it seemed to be pitch black in color. And this entire ensemble was topped off by a black hooded cloak which was draped over his shoulders and clasped together by a silver chain and he currently had the hood pulled up.

As soon as the image of this man popped into view, the entire airship went quiet as the black-clad man linked his arms behind his back.

"People of Remnant…" The figure began in a deep synthetic voice that was undoubtedly thanks to his mask. "Your Kingdoms have tried to suppress knowledge about me, and they have failed. They don't want you to know about me, about who and what I am. I have always been here, but I choose now to reveal myself to you, the general populace."

"Who is this guy?" Yang asked while giving the figure a once over.

"Naruto, his weapon looks similar to yours…" Ruby noted as she stared at the black hilt and compared it to Naruto's silver variants.

"Because I helped him build it." Naruto answered while staring at the figure in anger… well, it was fake anger, but he had to be convincing.

Before Ruby could ask who the figure was, she got her answer when the hologram spoke up once again. "My name is irrelevant, but if you must label me, you all may call me Specter. I am that which has been in the shadows, I am that which is the cause of everything that has occurred in recent times. I am the puppeteer pulling the strings and recently, there have been efforts to try and cut my strings. So, I come here before you all today, in the flesh, with a warning and a promise. I first warn the Kingdoms to stay out of my way, lest there be consequences for their actions. And my promise goes to the Hunter Academies of the world. Independence will be yours. Independence will be everyone's."

"Independence?" Queried Frost in fake confusion. "Independence from what? This guy's off his rocker."

"Independence from a corrupt system that has outlived is purpose. The Kingdoms will fall and be rebuilt from the ground up. That is my promise and my warning." Specter continued. "All that's left to be seen is if my warnings will go unheeded. For the sake of Remnant, let us hope that they don't. My name is Specter… and this has been a message to the people of Remnant."

With that, the hologram of Specter disappeared from the screen, which went blank and powered down.

"Great." Yang scoffed. "We get a pep talk from some crazy terrorist on our first day. Totally looking forward to this year already."

"He's not wrong." Naruto admitted, gaining two confused stares from the sisters. "I can sympathize with what he said… because of these." He then motioned to his fox ears and a look of realization found its way onto Yang and Ruby's faces. "If you blame me for wanting change, then all I have to say is try living with these things for one day and then tell me it doesn't change you."

"Yeah…" Yang began after clearing her throat. "I can see why. It's just that with the way that Specter guy was talking, he might just make things worse while trying to make it better."

"So, there's really a brain underneath all that blonde fuzz?" Naruto amusedly asked.

"Shut up." She returned with a playful punch to the arm.

"Well, well… look what the Beowolf dragged in." Called out another voice just as the airship lurched, signaling its landing.

"Merc!" Naruto greeted him with a fist bump. "You and Em actually made it!"

"Please, for the love of Dust…" Emerald began with a faceplam. "Don't you two start up…"

"Other friends of yours, Whiskers?" Yang asked.

"Yep. Yang, meet Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai. Merc, Em, this is Yang Xiao Long and her sister Ruby Rose. Be careful of the short one, she _stopped a Dust robbery_." Naruto finished his sentence with subtle emphasis and a light glare.

"I heard about that." Mercury started with a smirk. "I also heard it was Roman Torchwick who got owned. Nice job, shorty."

"I am NOT short!" Ruby pouted as the group of six began to disembark from the airship together.

"But you're not tall, either." Frost added to the conversation.

"Therefore, you're short." Naruto concluded.

"Keep drinking your milk, Rubes. You'll grow up someday." Yang decided to tease her sister with a couple of pats to the head.

"I'll be taller than you all one day!" Ruby declared dramatically. "I swear it!" She decided to finish her dramatic declaration with an equally dramatic spin… only she ended up running into someone's luggage, which resulted in a rainbow of colors to erupt from just one suitcase.

"Watch where you're going!" The owner of the luggage admonished the young Rose.

"I'm sorry!" Ruby immediately apologized as she stood up straight into a cloud of lingering Dust.

"Yang, you're sister's about to explode." Naruto deadpanned as he turned to find Yang missing.

"She has the right idea, Naruto…" Mercury said as he began walking away.

"Cheese it!" Frost declared as he shot off in the direction of the amphitheater, followed closely by Mercury, Naruto and lastly Emerald.

A muffled explosion then resounded throughout the courtyard, which made the four teens cringe a bit as they arrived in the amphitheater.

"Poor girl." Emerald shook her head. "Getting involved like she did."

"Shame, too. She seemed pretty nice." Mercury then shrugged. "Ah well, what can you do?"

"Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll die during whatever our Initiation will be." Frost offered. "Save one of us the trouble of offing her."

"One thing at a time." Naruto counseled his group. "Either way, she'll be of use to us… although it is true she'd be of more use to us as a corpse."

"I'll make it quick." Emerald declared.

"No." Naruto then adopted a thinking pose. "Let her live for now. She foiled Roman, which has piqued my interest in her. Cinder may want her dead, but I'm belaying whatever order she's sure to have given you two."

"I know that look, Naru." Frost said. "You have a plan, don't you?"

"A reckless one, as it all depends on the Initiation as a whole. If things go the way I think they will, it's checkmate for me in this instance."

"And as for the overall game?" Emerald asked.

"If I achieve checkmate here, then in the overall game… I've just moved up one of my pawns. It will slightly further our plans, but it's a necessary throw away move which will either set future events up for me or be a sacrifice."

"And here's the man of the hour." Mercury sarcastically stated as Ozpin and Glynda took their positions on stage.

 **(Beacon Ballroom: Some time later)**

"Would you three stop trying to impress the girls?" Emerald sighed in exasperation.

There before her were Naruto, Mercury and Frost dressed in their pajamas. Naruto was wearing a rust orange tank top that had the Uzumaki clan swirl sewed in the center of the front and some black lounge pants, Mercury was sporting a black tank top and some gray lounge shorts and Frost had on a white t-shirt and some simple black pants.

"We could say the same about you, Em." Mercury shot back.

"You're practically screaming 'Hey, I'm single and desperate!' with what you have on right now." Frost added to the teasing, then let out a wolf whistle.

Emerald was wearing a frame fitting green tank top which was hugging her rather impressive frame perfectly and dark gray lounge shorts which were slightly baggy.

"I swear, if either of you three start staring at my tits…" She warned in a deadpan tone.

"Well… they're kinda out there, Em." Naruto reasoned and was rewarded with a pillow being thrown at his face.

"S-Shut up!" She fired back at him with a light blush dusting her cheeks.

"Oh!" Frost exclaimed. "Merc and I can't stare, but he can?!"

"Neo's gonna _love_ this…" Merc snickered.

"Great. First Em starts checking me out and now Yang…" Naruto sighed in fake exasperation as he noticed Yang's not so subtle eyes roaming over him once again. "What is a man to do when he has garnered the attention of multiple girls? Woe is me for not having a solution…" He then mock stretched, which in turn made his tank top ride up a bit, exposing just a teasing glance of his six pack underneath.

In one instant, it seemed like over a dozen thunks were heard and those dozen thunks were the dozen or so girls who had fainted from just a tiny glimpse, though Yang had fared well enough. But Emerald?

"Holy shit!" Frost exclaimed. "Em! Em, you good?!"

"What the hell?" Naruto asked in bewilderment as he rounded upon Em to see her slumped against the wall she was previously sitting against with a thin trail of blood streaming out of her right nostril and a glazed, far off look in her eyes.

"The fuck happened?!" Mercury asked as he bent down to check her over around the time that Frost's stunned face morphed into one of barely contained laughter.

"Naru!" He managed to bite out. "Naru, sniff at the air!"

Hesitantly doing as he was told, Naruto tilted his head up slightly and took in one solid sniff of the air and his eyes widened considerably upon recognizing the scent… of a woman's arousal.

"She… just…" Was all he was able to say before a crippling smile spread across his face and he joined Frost in uncontrollable laughter.

"The hell you two laughing about?!" Mercury barked at them.

"She… She…!" Frost tried to still his laughter, but failed.

"She creamed herself into shock!" Naruto finished for his friend as he, too, began laughing again.

"UGH!" Mercury exclaimed in disgust as it clicked with him. "Em, really?! Having a shock inducing orgasm because of a sneak peek you'll never see again?! Damn!"

His statement only served to throw Naruto and Frost into another bout of uncontrolled laughter as Em's 'problem' had now been utterly screamed to the entire ballroom.

"What's all the commotion out here?" Asked a particular raven haired beauty as she stepped back into the ballroom from the bathroom.

Blake, try as she may, couldn't get a good view of whatever was happening, so with a shrug, she took her place at her sleeping bag once again and cracked open the book she was previously reading.

' _A man with two souls… no matter how many times I read that statement, I always think of…'_ Her inner muse began. _'No. I can't think about him. I left him behind; I severed all ties with him. He's gone, Blake, so you'd best forget about him… but, then again… how can someone easily forget their first love?'_

Shaking herself free of her inner musings, she immersed herself into the book once again, failing to notice a pair of blue and black eyes land on her form as he had finally recovered from his laughing fit.

 **(Next Morning: Beacon Cliffs)**

"These things are totally catapults." Frost stated as he hopped up and down on the platform. "A hundred Lien says I fly the farthest! Open challenge!" He then declared to the rest of the group.

"I'll take that bet!" Naruto declared from somewhere near the end of the row.

"Same here!" Yang intoned.

"Ditto!" Mercury volunteered himself for the bet.

"If you all are quite finished?" Glynda snapped and all fell silent. "Thank you." She huffed.

"For years you have trained to become warriors…" Ozpin began, eyeing Naruto, then Frost and lastly Blake. "And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Your dream come true, Em!" Mercury blurted out. "Naruto's finally gonna dive into your bush!"

"Shut up, asshole!" Emerald barked at him from somewhere near the front of the line.

' _No… it's impossible!'_ Blake began to mentally panic upon hearing Naruto's name. _'He can't have tracked me here! But… what if he has?! What if he's really here?!'_

"Hey!" Frost added. "She daydreamed that shit last night and lost a good pair of panties!"

"Doesn't mean it won't really happen! Like right now!" Mercury returned with a laugh.

"Don't worry, Em! I'll be gentle with your bush!" Naruto finally chided as he began to laugh as well.

' _He's here… no mistaking that voice! He's here!'_ A sudden chill then ran through Blake's spine as her imagination began to race through each and every likely scenario that could unfold once they were launched into the forest.

Before long, Ozpin had finished his speech and one by one, the hopefuls were shot off into the forest below. Mercury was the first one from Naruto's group to be launched, then Frost, then Emerald and lastly Naruto himself was launched.

Once airborne, Naruto let out a whoop and performed a series of aerobatics just to show off for the people who were still flying through the air. Slowly but surely, he was beginning to drift downwards into the trees, but with his Aura, the many small branches merely snapped as he passed through them… until he came upon a rather large branch jutting into his flightpath.

With a smirk, Naruto took hold of the polished silver hilt-like object upon his right hip with his right hand and detached it from its magnetized slot. Mere feet from impact, his smirk spread as a snap-hissing sound filled the air and a red blade of condensed Energy Dust sprang forth from the emitter and with one fluid swing, the branch had been cut and Naruto continued on with his weapon still in hand. After gracefully leaping off of a couple more tree branches to regain his bearings, Naruto's instincts as a Shinobi took over and he tree hopped his way through the forest.

" **You're feeling nostalgic, kit.** " Kurama's voice rumbled in Naruto's head.

' _Yeah… I haven't done this in a long time, Kurama. I think I've found my favorite place in this world. The Emerald Forest… bah, this is turning me soft.'_

" **Heads up… or down, in this case. Below you, kit."**

"I know." Naruto outwardly acknowledged his Bijuu's warning and as soon as he landed on the branch in front of him, he shot downward towards the rapidly approaching ground at breakneck speed until at the last second, he righted himself in the air and swung down with his crimson blade, landing in a crouch after effectively bisecting a rather nasty Alpha Ursa from head to toe. With a flourish of his blade, Naruto deactivated it and the crimson glow dissipated as its source returned into the hilt, and with a turn…

"Hello, Blake…" Naruto calmly said as he turned and their eyes locked for the first time in a little over a few months. "Fancy meeting you here."

"N-Naruto…" Blake hesitated, her visibly shaking hand lifting up to caress the hilt of Gambol Shroud.

"I guess this makes us partners, huh?" He asked, a teasing smirk marring his features. "Just like old times."

"What are you doing here?" She asked, trying to hide the tremble of both her voice and hand.

"Just stopped by to see how you were doing is all. Oh, and I may or may not be attending Beacon now." He shrugged. "You seem to be right as rain. That's good, Blake, it's good that you've been taking care of yourself."

"Stop joking…" She began to growl. "There's no way Ozpin would let someone like you into his Academy!"

"Someone like me?" Naruto queried as he took a single step towards her, a motion she mirrored, though as a step back. "What do you mean by that, Blake?"

"A murderer. A sociopathic killer who could give less than a damn about who or what he pulls the trigger on."

"I seem to recall your ledger dripping with blood as well, Blake." Naruto countered as he took another step. "We're in the same boat, yet Ozpin let you in. By your logic, he should have thrown us both to the Beowolves. Or does he not know of the things you've done for the White Fang? Because he sure knew about my past."

"Your _true_ past? Or the past you allowed him to see?" She then began to unsheathe Gambol Shroud as he took yet another step. "Stay away!"

"You're terrified." Naruto noted in slight amusement with a chuckle. "You think I've been sent here to kill you."

"That's the only reason why you'd be here!" She barked. "Adam wants me dead, so he sent you, his best agent, to take care of the loose ends! Or maybe you volunteered because you felt like it was your duty to hunt me down as I was your partner, therefore your responsibility!"

"True, that you were and still are my responsibility..." Naruto conceded that point. "But I haven't been sent here to kill you. If I were…"

Suddenly, in the literal blink of an eye, Naruto was standing before her with a hilt in his left hand this time, a silver blade protruding from the hilt… and piercing right through a Beowolf which had snuck upon her while she was distracted.

"I would have let this monstrosity do my job for me." Naruto finished as he tore the energy blade out of the Grimm and deactivated the blade. "Trust me now?" He leveled his gaze at her.

"… What happened?" She asked. "Something must have happened for you to just up and leave. What was it?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Shortly after you left, a woman came to us proposing a partnership." Naruto recited the tale. "Adam and I both refused her on the spot. A few days later, she returns and attacks our camp, bringing with her briefcases full of Dust, Lien and an ultimatum: Join or die. Adam chose to join while I had to fight my way out of there. I was _betrayed_ , Blake. Betrayed by the very person I had considered a brother and by the group I thought of as an extended family. I didn't know where else to turn, and I was lost for a time before I eventually found Frost. He and I then eventually came to a decision: Apply to a Hunter Academy."

"And Ozpin accepted you both after hearing of what you two went through." Blake concluded.

"We offered our knowledge of the inner workings of the White Fang in return for the opportunity to become Huntsmen ourselves." Naruto nodded.

Upon seeing Blake go into deep thought, Naruto had to suppress a smirk as she seemed to buy into his fake story. Amber eyes caught blue and black one more time and the edginess of those yellow orbs was lost in favor of acceptance and a genuine smile spread across Blake's face.

"Good to be your partner again, Naruto." She beamed.

"Hey, I didn't even know you were attending until last night, so I—" He was interrupted by his new/old partner tackling him into a hug. A very intimate hug, at that.

"Thank you." She breathed. "Thank you for realizing you were being played."

"Hey…" He cooed as he returned the hug. "I promised you once that I'd never change. Sure, I slipped off of my path once, but getting shafted by Adam opened my eyes. Second best thing to ever happen to me."

"And what's the first?" She asked in genuine curiosity as she pulled away from the hug to look at him.

"Having you for a partner." He smiled, and almost laughed when he saw a heated blush settle upon her cheeks and her bow twitch slightly. "Hey, I can still make you blush! Good to know I haven't lost my touch."

"S-Shut up, you jerk…"

"OI!" A voice ruined the moment. "Outta the way, lovebirds!"

"Frost!" Came Emerald's voice. "Frost! GODDAMN IT! Kill the thing already!"

Out of the brush came an abnormally large Boarbatusk and riding atop it was Frost, who seemed to be having a field day.

"Naru!" Frost called out to the blonde. "Stop this asshole! Flip it!"

"One roadblock coming right up!" Naruto declared as he focused a bit of his Chakra into his right fist and promptly slammed it into the ground, creating a crater in the ground which the Boarbatusk fell into. As Frost leaped off of its back, he gave its rear end a good kick so it would land in the crater upside down, which it did.

After the Grimm landed inside of the crater, Blake snapped into action and drew Gambol Shroud, then dove into the crater and impaled the beast through just as Frost came down with his pistols in their trench knife modes and damn near decapitated the thing.

"Nice moves as always, Kitty!" Frost beamed as he holstered his weapons and stood from his crouched position. "Good to see you again!"

"Frost…" Blake groaned as she pulled Gambol Shroud free and sheathed it upon her back. "I told you… _never_ call me Kitty."

"Shot down once again!" Intoned Naruto from the lip of the crater.

"Fuck you, Naru!" Frost then flipped his friend off as Blake clambered out of the crater.

"Frost!" Emerald raged as she finally emerged from another bush. "What part of that clicked in that undersized brain of yours as a good idea?!"

"Why walk when you can get a ride?" Frost merely shrugged as he leaped out of the crater and joined his other three companions.

"WHY?!" Emerald declared to the heavens with a shaking fist. "Why did he have to be my partner?!"

"Get used to it, Em." Naruto consoled her with a pat to the shoulder. "You get used to it, trust me."

"Who's the girl, Naruto?" Blake asked in a wary tone, oblivious to the fact that she had taken an unconscious step closer to the blonde.

"Blake, this is Emerald Sustrai. Em, meet Blake Belladonna." Naruto introduced the pair. "Now that introductions are out of the way, we have some Relics to find." He then cut off the two girls mid-stare, knowing that a rivalry was about to form and he would have none of it.

"Dammit, you interfered with the catfight!" Frost dejectedly whined.

Even though Naruto had dragged Blake away from the impending rivalry, that didn't stop the girls from sharing a heated stare down as they strode through the forest. Figurative lightning seemed to connect their gazes, lightning that wasn't broken until Naruto spoke up.

"Blake? Hellooooo~!" He waved a hand in front of her face, which snapped her out of her reverie.

"Huh?"

"Which Relic do you want to take? Frost and I can't decide, Em's not paying attention and I'd rather ask you instead of anyone else."

"Uhh… how about the black king piece? You love to play chess and black's always been your favorite color besides orange."

"I was thinking that as well." He nodded as he stepped up and took a black king piece, an action which Blake mirrored.

"Em!" Frost called out to her. "Pick up the damn king already!"

"Fine, fine!" Emerald muttered as she joined Frost in picking up the last two black king pieces.

"Well, shall we escape this valley?" Naruto asked and just at that moment, a Nevermore flew overhead with an agitated squawk. "Post-haste, if we could." He added.

"I feel bad for the poor sods that have to take that thing on." Frost chuckled as he followed his companions out of the clearing and back into the forest.

Eventually, Naruto and company had found a way out of the valley, and once they did, something seemed to click in Emerald's head.

"Where's Mercury?" She asked.

"Probably got stuck in a tree or something." Frost shrugged.

"Hopefully, he found a compatible partner." Naruto said.

"Another hundred Lien says it was that Yang chick."

"You're on!" Naruto took Frost's second bet.

 **(Beacon Academy: After Initiation)**

"Mercury Black, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long, your four retrieved the white knight pieces." Ozpin began.

"Refund that hundred Lien, asshole!" Frost whispered to Naruto with a snicker.

"Hey, I did end up getting the farthest!" Naruto shot back as he forked over a hundred Lien to his friend.

"From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose." He finished as a round of applause erupted from the crowd.

"Shorty's got some serious skill, it seems." Frost muttered to Naruto, who nodded his agreement.

"And finally, Naruto Uzumaki, Blake Belladonna, Frost Schwarz, and Emerald Sustrai, you four retrieved the black king pieces." Ozpin began once again, pausing only to take a sip of his coffee. "From this day onward, you four will be working together as Team NBSE (Nebulose), led by Naruto Uzumaki."

"Hell yeah!" Naruto declared with a fist pump.

"Congratulations, Naruto." Blake congratulated him with a smile and a small giggle.

"We're doomed." Emerald faked a depressed sigh that was belied by a smile of her own.

"Drinks are on me tonight!" Frost exclaimed. "Celebration time!"

"Alright, Team NBSE!" Naruto clapped his hands together. "Forward! Towards a party somewhere!"

Even though Naruto was truly happy he got named Team Leader, he was even happier because of one overarching reason…

' _Checkmate against you, Ozpin. Things worked out perfectly, even better than I imagined. You've unknowingly jumpstarted my plans, and for that, I thank you. Specter is now known throughout Remnant and I now have an inside tract within Beacon itself. Now to just play both sides of the field and move my pieces… I foresee another checkmate.'_

"You alright, Naruto?" Blake asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Blake." He smiled at her. "Just fine…"

 **AN: So, what do you guys think? First and foremost, the change to Team RWBY. I think it's a good move to put Mercury in to replace Blake. Albeit, it's an evil reason considering Episode 9, but that's just another reason to do it. Also, I'm well aware that Team NBSE being pronounced "nebulose" is a stretch, but I'm sticking with it.**

 **And what about Specter? Obviously, Specter is Naruto's alias and the person Remnant knows him most as. Ozpin only knows that he's ex-White Fang, hence why he's been let into Beacon, but what do you guys think? It was something I've been planning on doing, but I want some feedback!**

 **Also, for those who are keeping up with Foxes and Rose Petals, I hope Frost's appearance in this one is a welcome sight, as I wanted to do more with him and this was a prime opportunity. Now, onto the pairing issue. Neo will be staying in, and I'm most likely gonna add Blake in. My question for you all is this: If I were to add a third girl, who should it be? Right now, I'm leaning towards Pyrrha, but something could be said for Weiss, considering she knows Naruto as Specter and not as Naruto Uzumaki, so he could worm his way into her good graces eventually. Or should I just keep it strictly Naru x Neo x Blake? Give me some solid reasons for your choice!**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: And here it is, people! Sorry this one took a bit longer than expected. I just had so much I wanted to do with this one, but I had to limit myself. The second reason why this took longer than expected is a lot more straightforward: Volume 3's Finale. While I actually like how it ended, it was sort of a setback for me simply because Salem is now a thing. I'll go into more detail about it in the AN at the end of the chapter, so enough of my babbling! ONWARDS!**

 **Chapter 5: The First Casualties and a Fated Meeting**

It was quite amusing, it truly was. Offhandedly chuckling at the randomness of one Nora Valkyrie as she spouted on and on about something that might or might not have happened to both her and Ren as he dug into his lunch, he was reflecting upon the first few weeks that he and Frost had been students at Beacon. For the first week or so, he had noted that Weiss had taken exception to Ruby being appointed leader of Team RWBY, so he and the rest of both Teams NBSE and JNPR had to sit through the rivalry until it had been resolved. Speaking of the three teams, they had sort of formed an unofficial circle at the suggestions of both Ruby and Naruto, with Jaune following his fellow team leaders by example

Now, it was a couple of weeks later and seemingly another issue had sprung up: Jaune being bullied. See, Beacon itself was still a school, therefore it was bound to have a resident bully, and this one went by the name of Cardin Winchester.

"Atrocious." Pyrrha spat while looking on at something that was happening. "I can't stand people like him."

"What's going on?" Naruto asked as he zoned back into the conversation, then followed Pyrrha's gaze. "Oh… _hell no_." He growled out.

Cardin was currently pulling on the ears of a helpless rabbit Faunus girl, laughing as the rest of his team chided him on and hurled racial slurs at the poor girl.

"That's it." Yang declared as she made to get up, but Naruto stopped her.

"No, Yang." He advised in the calmest voice he could manage, then motioned to the Huntsman who was monitoring the dining hall. "See him? He's supposed to be monitoring us for shit like that."

"Then why isn't he doing anything?" She asked.

"Racism is infectious, it seems." Frost growled as he glared at Cardin.

"Somebody has to do something, though." Ruby chimed in. "This isn't right!"

"Who said nobody was going to not step in?" Naruto challenged as he rose from his seat, followed by Frost. "Come on, Team NBSE. Let's stand up to a bully."

Blake was the next to stand up, followed by Emerald, and the four began walking towards the scene.

"Winchester's dead." Mercury noted as he began eating his lunch once again.

"Why do you say that, Merc?" Asked Yang.

"I've known Naruto and Frost for a long time. They _hate_ racists. And they're not ones to let bullying go unpunished as well." He then sat his fork down. "Might as well settle in and watch the show."

"What a freak." Cardin chuckled as he pulled on her ear once again. "Told you guys they were real!"

"Stop it!" The girl cried. "That hurts!"

"Pull 'em some more!" Russel taunted.

"Hey!" Naruto called out to the team. "Dumb, dumber, dumbest and dumbass!" He referred to Sky, Russel, Dove and Cardin respectively. "How about you let her go?"

"It was only a matter of time until the team of freaks would come to defend their own kind." Cardin chuckled as he let go of the girl and turned his attention to the two other Faunus in front of him, his eyes falling on Emerald, then Blake. "Must be hard living with a bunch of animals. You two OK?"

"Keep your pity to yourself." Emerald scoffed. "We don't accept it from racist pigs such as yourself."

"So, you're a supporter of these flea bags?" Cardin narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what's worse; these wastes of skin or traitorous whores like you two who hate their own kind."

"Step into the arena with one of these 'animals', Winchester." Naruto growled as he clenched his fists. "Or are you just all bark and no bite? Wanna show your vagina to the whole lunch room, bitch?"

"Shut the fuck up, animal!" Cardin rounded on Naruto with a snarl. "The human is speaking and you will zip your goddamn lip while the human is speaking!"

The next thing Cardin felt was a fist being rammed into his jaw. Recoiling back, his eyes wide, he stared at Naruto in disbelief.

"Your pussy is showing." Naruto took a step towards the boy. "Fight back, Winchester. Accept my challenge. Or else I'll just beat you to a pulp right here, right now. It'd be worth getting written up."

"It'd be worth getting _expelled_ to hand your asses to you!" Frost growled as he let his claws grow out. "Make the first move, I dare ya!"

"FINE!" Bellowed Cardin. "The arena it is! We'll teach you animals your places!"

"Hold on, boys." The Huntsman finally stepped in. "The first blow was struck outside of the arena. Mr. Uzumaki, you're being written up. The match won't take place."

"Heh." Cardin chuckled, a smug look on his face. "Too bad, throw rug."

"I think not." Came Ozpin's voice as he stepped into the dining hall. "I'll allow this. It's within Mr. Uzumaki's right to challenge his fellow Hunters to duels."

"But…" The Huntsman began, but faltered. "Yes, sir."

"Like I said." Mercury sighed as he stood. "Cardin's dead."

"Should have let me know sooner that we could duel anyone!" Yang growled in annoyance.

"Maybe Professor Ozpin's doing this just to annoy you, Yang." Weiss teased her teammate.

"Doing a damn fine job of it, too." She muttered as what appeared to be the entire dining hall collectively made their way into the arena.

"This duel is a matter of personal honor. Cardin Winchester stands challenged by Naruto Uzumaki." The Huntsman from before began as everyone began to settle into the stands. "As this was a challenge from one Team Leader to another, both teams are involved and must stand by their respective Leaders in this conflict. Standard tournament rules apply; the last team standing wins."

"What's your game, Uzumaki?" Cardin asked as he withdrew his mace. "Trying to prove your team's competency?"

"Nope." Naruto shook his head. "Just trying to whip a team full of racist assholes back into shape."

"Please!" Cardin scoffed. "We all know that you're trying to legitimize your team here! I've seen you in the few sparring classes we've had; you're the sole reason why your team is so highly regarded! Without you, they'd easily be the weakest team here!"

"… You know what, Cardin?" Naruto asked after a short pause. "I'm gonna sit this one out. If what you say is true, then there's no way Team NBSE can win without me."

"Wait… what?"

"Frost, you take over from here."

"Way ahead of you, bro!" Frost all but cackled as he withdrew his twin pistols and shifted them into their trench knife forms. "Time to clip some wings!"

One second, Frost was standing among his teammates, and the next thing Team CRDL knew, he was among them, swinging his right trench knife right at Dove's head. Sky would have gone in to help his comrade, but Blake was already upon him in a burst of speed rivaling Frost's, swinging Gambol Shroud's sheathe vertically down onto him. As Frost's opening haymaker connected, Dove was sent flying back first into the far wall of the arena, and Sky was flattened by Blake's fake out, as she had expertly used her Semblance to confuse him and sent him tumbling to the floor face first. Russel, while all of this was going on, seemed dazed and confused, and only took action when Dove peeled himself out of the wall. Dual daggers met with the short sword as the teammates clashed.

"Russel, what the hell?!" Dove tried reaching out to his traitorous comrade, but only received a few glancing blows for his trouble.

After pushing Russel back, Dove went in for a strong slice, which Russel tanked with his Aura and retaliated with a few slices and stabs on his own, which lowered Dove's Aura to just above the red zone. After a few more parries from both teammates, they both eventually knocked each other out via simultaneous slices. The buzzer went off as two of the four members of Team CRDL fell, with Sky being eliminated by both Blake and Frost at the same time, leaving Cardin standing there, confused and properly scared out of his wits.

"The fight hasn't even been going on for two minutes, Winchester." Naruto began as a smirk spread across his face. "And yet you're the only one left."

"Face it, asshole." Frost also smirked. "Your team is shit."

"What… the hell?" Cardin breathed, then gulped. "You four… are insane!"

"Come, Cardin Winchester." Naruto spoke once again as he withdrew the Dustsaber on his right hip and ignited the red blade with a snap-hiss. "Let us see who the better Team Leader is."

Each step forward that Naruto took was like a death toll for Cardin. He knew he was outmatched, but his pride wasn't allowing him to just give up. So, with a mighty war cry, he charged forward with all the courage he could muster, heaved his mace above his head and sent it crashing down onto the blonde Faunus… only for Naruto to elegantly sidestep the attack and just as the mace impacted the ground, he brought his Dustsaber down onto the weapon and sliced it clean in two. Cardin only had time to gape at what had been done to his weapon before a flash of red sent him flying into unconsciousness. After slicing Cardin's mace in half, Naruto had brought his blade back up and sliced right through the boy's Aura with one hit.

"You weren't even worthy of my Dustsabers." Naruto clicked his tongue. "Maybe I should have gone in bare fisted. You would have lasted longer that way."

"Winner: Team NBSE!" The Huntsman's voice filled the silent arena.

Soon enough, an applause erupted, and the applause was well-deserved, as Team NBSE unknowingly had beaten Beacon's record for the fastest match.

"Congratulations are in order for Team NBSE." Ozpin's voice quickly silenced the arena. "Your team, Mr. Uzumaki, will be entered into our systems as the current holder of the fastest match recorded."

"Though it was not our intention to take the record, Professor, we humbly accept your decision." Naruto said as he replaced his Dustsaber onto its magnetic slot on his right hip. "We were only trying to defend both our friend and an innocent from bullying and racial assault."

"A commendable thing to fight for." Ozpin nodded. "Now, seeing as the challenge is over, everyone please return to your classes or assigned tasks."

"And would a doctor please check out Team CRDL?" Glynda added as she adjusted her glasses.

"Mr. Uzumaki?" Ozpin called out to Naruto as he and Team NBSE was about to file out of the arena with the rest of the crowd.

"Yes, Professor?" Naruto turned to face the aged man.

"A moment in my office, if you please?"

"Of course." He inclined his head in an acquiescing bow, then turned to Frost. "Before I go, you might want to tend to bunny girl over there." He motioned with his head to the girl in question.

"Attend to her…?" Frost raised an eyebrow.

"Do your thing, Mr. One-Night-Stands."

"You think she could be a valuable pawn?" Frost leaned in to whisper.

"I know potential when I see it." Naruto whispered back. "She may or may not be a valuable piece, and I'd rather err on the side of caution. Get her under your thumb."

"You got it, Boss." Frost the smirked as he sauntered over to the girl.

"What'd you say to Frost?" Blake asked.

"I think the girl we just saved has a thing for him." Naruto shrugged. "Trying to set him up is all."

"He's never going to settle down." She scoffed. "He's always been a womanizer."

"You and I both know that Frost is much more complicated than that, Blake." Naruto lightly admonished his partner, then turned on his heel and tossed a wave over his shoulder. "Oz wants to see me. Be good while I'm gone."

"Like I'm going to be the one to act out." She once again scoffed and made to leave… then promptly turned on her heel and broke out into a light jog until she caught up with her partner and Team Leader.

"Following me, eh?" Naruto chuckled. "Fine, you can come with me. I'll take responsibility if someone says you should be in class."

"This is the only time I'm breaking the rules for you." Blake lightly blushed. "Don't get used to it."

"Who cares if we break a couple of rules every now and again? We were born to be rebels."

"Speak for yourself." She lightly scoffed. "I joined our… past associates to try and bring order."

"And you think I joined because I had nothing better to do?" He directed a light glare to his partner. "Blake, I wanted equality, I wanted peace… and then Adam screws both Frost and I and we're forced to run."

"I know." She sighed. "I guess I'm just still trying to grasp that _you_ left them. You were right under Adam in the hierarchy. Hell, by the time I left, you two were all but equals when it came to authority."

"And I didn't abuse my power, Blake. You should know better than anyone."

"You were the only thing standing between him and me when he…" She paused to take a shaky breath as the memories flooded back. "When he started to become possessive of me and jealous… of us."

"There was no 'us', Blake." Naruto shook his head. "According to you, there could never be an 'us'."

"I…" She bit her lower lip as the words died before they could be said.

"Does it still stand?" He asked as he stopped and rounded on her, so he was standing in front of her. "Can there still not be an 'us'?"

"We… we could die at any moment, Naruto." Blake took in a breath. "We're training to become Hunters, a profession that has an understandably high mortality rate. My life has been nothing but hell for as long as I can remember, and if something were to happen to you because of me; if something were to happen to you while there _was_ and 'us'… I…" Amber orbs tore themselves away from the entrancing cerulean and onyx.

"You can't keep running, Blake." Naruto softly whispered to her as he placed his right hand upon her shoulder. "Not from your past, not from the White Fang… and not from your feelings."

"I…"

"You don't have to run anymore." He firmly stated as he moved his right hand from her shoulder to caress her left cheek. "For as long as I live, I'll be your rock. I'll be your port in the storm. You don't have to be afraid with me, Blake, and I'll stay by your side, no matter what comes."

"You…" Her left hand moved up to desperately grab his right hand which was still caressing her cheek. "You're reminding me just how hard I've fallen for you. We're both crazy, but… as long as we're crazy together, then I think it'll all work out…"

"Glad to see you finally admit it." He lightly teased with a smile.

"Shut up, you jerk…"

And with nothing left to say, the pair of Faunus leaned into one another slowly, tentatively, until finally their lips met, his right hand caressing her cheek while his left rested upon her right hip and her arms locked themselves behind his head. Their eyes were closed and she had stepped fully into the kiss so their bodies were flush against one another's. The lip lock continued on for about another minute before the teens pulled away from each other, smiles on their faces and ears twitching seemingly in sync.

"I love you." She finally admitted. "I've run away from this for far too long, so it's high time I said it. I love you."

"And you know I've always loved you, Blake." Naruto leaned his forehead against hers. "And I always will. Now and forever."

"Congratulations, you two." Came the voice of Ozpin as he came upon the scene, as they were standing right in front of his elevator. "To see such young love blossom even during times like this truly warms the heart."

"S-Sorry you had to see all of that, Professor." Naruto blushed as he and Blake separated, with Blake standing right behind him, a very fierce blush of her own going on.

"Nonsense." Ozpin waived the young couple off. "It is good that you came by immediately, Mr. Uzumaki, and it is quite fortuitous that you decided to tag along with him, Miss Belladonna. I have a serious question that I would like to ask you." He then passed the couple and stepped into his elevator.

"And what is that, Professor?" Naruto asked as he and Blake filed into the elevator after the bespectacled Headmaster.

"What do you two know about Specter?"

' _Rather quick of you to ask me this question, Ozpin.'_ Naruto inwardly mused as he feigned anger. _'What are you playing at, I wonder…?'_

"Naruto would be the better person to ask here, Professor." Blake admitted.

"Well, Mr. Uzumaki?" Ozpin glared at the blonde.

"Specter and I…" Naruto sighed to get rid of his (albeit fake) anger. "We knew each other back during my days as a mercenary, before I joined up with the White Fang. I don't know his real name, nor what he looks like beneath that mask. We worked together on a few odd jobs every now and then, and I even helped him build the Dustsaber he has."

"But your cooperation with each other ran afoul, I assume?"

"I botched one of my last jobs and my previous employer decided to hire him to tie up loose ends. He and I fought to a stalemate, I barely escaped with my life. I knew him as a relentless hunter, so I was forced to run and cover my tracks, which is how I ended up associating with Hei Xiong, or Junior as you may or may not know him. He helped me cover my tracks and it was through him that I set myself back up as a respectable mercenary. I did jobs for him and a few of his own patrons, and eventually I found myself in Frostback where Adam found me and recruited me into the White Fang."

"I can corroborate most of this story, Professor." Blake added. "Adam had his eyes on Naruto for a while, and made sure to take note of any associations he had. Junior was among them, as was his patrons. There were vague mentions of a mysterious person who was indeed after him, but he was a ghost; we could never pin down any credible leads or evidence of his existence. Apparently, this Specter lives up to his name."

"I see." Ozpin hummed. "This explains why he wields a weapon similar to your Dustsabers, Mr. Uzumaki. Now, I can relay back to the Council of Vale that you have no ties to Specter other than nearly being assassinated by him back when he was also just a mercenary."

"I had no idea I had garnered the attention of the Vale Council." Naruto honestly admitted. He truly had no idea that the Vale Council was suspecting him already. _'Interesting. Thank you for letting me know, Oz. Now I know to tread more carefully.'_

"They were merely concerned because your weapons were similar." Ozpin reassured the boy as the elevator stopped at the top floor of the tower, which happened to be his office. "Now I can belay their concerns."

"Thank you, Professor. The last thing I need is the Council dragging me away from my new life here at Beacon so soon after having to leave my old one with the Fangs."

"I won't let them touch you." Blake lightly growled as she linked her fingers with his. "I'm never letting you go. For anything or anyone."

"So feisty." Naruto chuckled. "What brought this side of you out?"

"You. Confessing my love for you. If they want you, they'll have to go through me first." She then lifted her left hand up to her bow and promptly untied it, the bow in question drifting silently to the floor of the elevator. "I'm not afraid anymore, and I don't care who knows I'm a Faunus. As long as I have you… then I have all the courage I need."

"It seems that your new girlfriend has gotten a substantial confidence boost, Mr. Uzumaki." Ozpin chuckled as he sat at his desk.

"So it seems." Naruto smiled. "Was that all, Professor?"

"Yes, you two may return to your classes now." Ozpin nodded. "And congratulations once again."

"Thank you, Professor." Naruto said just as the elevator doors closed.

 **(That Night: Vale City Waterfront District: Warehouse: Midnight)**

"Well, kid…" Roman began as he leaned back into his chair. "How's your time at Beacon? Anything of note to report?"

"Things are running smoothly." Naruto said as he adjusted to the weight of Neo on his lap. "Ozpin suspects nothing and I have a solid inside tract. As it stands, my Team, NBSE, and I have garnered the friendship of two rival teams, JNPR and RWBY, led by Jaune Arc of the prestigious Arc family and Ruby Rose."

"The same girl who handed your ass to you on a silver platter, Roman." Frost snickered.

"There was a goddamned Huntress with her that night!" Roman defended himself.

"Fifteen year old girl." Neo also snickered as she adjusted herself on Naruto's lap so her legs were propped upon the table and her head was resting against his chest. "Embarrassing. Pathetic."

"Not you too, Neo…" Roman seemed to deflate.

"She's right, Roman." Cut in the silky smooth voice of Cinder as she crossed her right leg over her left knee. "You were still bested by a girl."

"That same girl has silver eyes."

That one statement from Naruto silenced all teasing, as everyone there knew the implications of having to deal with a silver eyed Huntress.

"If she has silver eyes…" Adam began as he walked into the room and took his seat at the table. "Then we must eliminate her or otherwise render her incapacitated by any means necessary."

"Another thing that the Three Heads of Cerberus will deal with?" Queried Roman, who was referring to Naruto, Adam and Frost, who were the three people in charge of the entirety of the White Fang.

"Hey, we can't solve all the problems this organization has! We're not goddamned miracle workers!" Frost barked.

"Frost is right." Naruto mediated. "We shall be leaving the White Fang out of this for now. Ruby is under 24/7 surveillance by Mercury, who is always on standby, waiting for the kill order from me should I have to give it."

"And what of Blake?" Adam asked, his grip on Blush tightening ever so slightly at the mention of her name.

"She is on my team… and she is currently acting as my cover while I'm attending Beacon."

"Meaning…?" He growled.

"She's my girlfriend." He sighed.

"I knew this would happen!" Adam barked. "We talked about this, Naruto! I told you infiltrating Beacon personally would skew your priorities! And look what's happened; you're breaking bread with a traitor!"

"Is this my brother talking, or is this the possessive bastard that he turned into talking?" Naruto intoned as he directed a glare to Adam, a glare which was reinforced by his right eye morphing into the Sharingan. "Because the former I can forgive for this outburst. If it's the latter…" He let the threat linger there.

"Commanding…" Neo purred as she snuggled into her boyfriend. "Don't care about Blake. Forever yours. Besides, commanding. Very hot."

"Neo's right again, Naruto." Cinder managed her own purr as she stood from her seat and took what space on his lap that wasn't taken by Neo and planted a kiss upon his right cheek. "But as enticing as you are, there's still a meeting going on."

"Indeed." Naruto nodded as he felt Neo shift again so Cinder had more room. "I have identified a team of targets which must be taken out, as they have no bearing on our plans."

"If they have no bearing, why kill them?" Roman asked. "Just curious."

"Because they're better use to us dead than alive." Frost answered. "They're a team of assholes who are too dumb to live. Plus, it's safer to take them out. Fewer people to deal with come the invasion."

"How do you want to go about this?" A now calmed down Adam asked.

"They've been humiliated by my team and I today, which means their emotions will be running wild. Cinder, I need you to work your magic and get a couple packs of Ursa and Beowolves into the Emerald Forest. Maybe a King Taijitu. I'll provide you the coordinates."

"Simple enough." Cinder also got herself comfortable in Naruto's embrace, as he had just wrapped his right arm around her while his left was around Neo.

"With the Grimm in place, they will undoubtedly be attracted to the negative emotions rolling off of Team CRDL. They should do their jobs, but just in case… Neo, I want you on scene to clean up any prospective survivors. Make it look like the Grimm killed them."

"Roger." She snapped off a mock salute and a teasing smirk.

"Adam, I want you to go back and keep our fellow brothers in line. Keep them sated until our promised invasion rolls around."

"Right." Adam nodded.

"Roman, you continue stealing Dust and Lien. We need as much as we can get."

"Got it." Roman also nodded.

"Cinder, after tomorrow's operation, I want you to lay low and stay local here in Vale. Ozpin's bound to have stored Amber somewhere secure; it's only a matter of finding out where. Continue searching the city while I focus on Beacon."

"Of course, my love." She purred and planted another kiss upon his right cheek, an action that Neo mirrored with his left.

"Frost and I will continue our infiltration of Beacon. If something else of interest pops up, I'll convene another meeting, same place, same time. Dismissed."

"Blonde bastard, getting all of the girls…" Roman grumbled as he stood and walked out, followed by a silent Adam.

"I'll get back to Beacon, Naru." Frost offered. "I'll tell Blake that you decided to stay here in Vale City a bit longer."

"Make up a good excuse for me." Naruto said as he stood, with Cinder leading both him and Neo to the back of the warehouse.

In the back of the warehouse was a bunkroom, and upon crossing into said room, Cinder was all but tackled into the far wall by Naruto, who immediately claimed her lips with his in a smoldering kiss which enticed a throaty moan from the half-Maiden, a moan which took on a higher pitch when she felt her other female guest running her tongue over a very sensitive lower area after her panties had been dragged down.

" _Fuuuuuck~…"_ Cinder moaned out as Neo's tongue went to work exploring her while Naruto took to playing with her bountiful D-cups, enhancing her pleasure.

Soon enough, Cinder found herself lying back on the bed, clenching the bedsheets tightly and screaming to the high heavens as Neo's expert tongue had just finished her off.

"Tasty~." Neo snickered as she moved and positioned herself above the half-Maiden, who was once again moaning loudly as Naruto had just began to work his own magic.

"Go on, Cinder." Naruto grunted as he charged into her over and over again. "Have a taste of some ice cream."

Despite her numerous moans, Cinder's own tongue began its payback against Neo as the trio began pleasuring each other. Throughout their acts, Naruto's Sharingan remained active, as he wanted to burn every image into his brain. This might have been a moment of lust, but he truly did love both Neo and Cinder… and now Blake. By the end of it all, a pair of loud screams erupted from both Cinder and Neo as they both had hit their high at the same time, along with Naruto, who collapsed beside Cinder after spending himself.

"Inside…?" The half-Maiden asked as her right hand went to caress her belly.

"S-Shit…" Naruto cursed as he tried to regain his breath. "I didn't realize…"

"I don't care." Cinder breathed, also trying to catch her breath. "Any child born from us… would be unstoppable."

"Always thinking… of the future." Naruto chuckled.

"True, though." Neo added in her opinion as she snuggled into Naruto's left side, her breasts pressed against his left arm. "Same with us. Unstoppable child."

"What am I gonna do with you two?" He faked a biter sigh.

"In all seriousness, though… we both love you… and we'd be happy to have your children if it came down to it… but not just yet."

"I understand." Naruto nodded. "We're about to go to war. We wouldn't have the time to care for a child."

"After war." Neo yawned out. "Have family after war."

"Yes." Cinder also snuggled up to Naruto at his right side, her breasts pressing into his right arm. "After the war. When we rule all of Remnant."

"Yeah…" Naruto managed his own yawn. "When I'm Emperor…"

And so the three lovers drifted off into a blissful post-sex slumber. All was peaceful for them. The next morning, however…

 **(Next Morning: Emerald Forest: Noon)**

"SHIT!" Cardin exclaimed as he slammed his new mace into the skull of a Beowolf. "Russel, you good?!"

Turning, Cardin's eyes widened to see the boy in question being devoured by a couple of Ursa. Sky was the first to have fallen to the Grimm, followed by Dove. He was the last one left. At seeing Russel fall, Cinder immediately dropped his mace and ran. He ran as if his life were depending on it, which it was.

' _Go and find a professor! Find Goodwitch! That's it; she followed us into this forest! She can save me!'_ Cardin desperately thought to himself, and just as he was nearing a clearing, he saw a shimmer in front of his face, followed by a white and black boot filling his vision as he fell backwards into a bush.

"Bad boy." Neo teased Cardin with a sadistic smirk. "Stay. Stay and die."

"NO!" Cardin panicked as a Beowolf came upon him. "NOOOO!" He screamed out, his cries being silenced when said Beowolf tore out his throat and began eating him, the last member of the doomed Team CRDL.

"Good boy." Neo giggled as she disappeared back into her invisibility illusion, the sound of her giggling echoing over the grotesque sounds of gnawing flesh and bone

 **(Beacon Academy: Ozpin's Office: An hour later)**

"And you're absolutely sure of what you saw, Miss Rose?" Ozpin calmly asked, his hands linked under his chin in a temple.

"I-It was Team CRDL…" Ruby managed to say, despite the shock she was going through. "They… t-they…"

"Can confirm that they got eaten by a couple of rogue Grimm packs." Mercury finished for his young Team Leader as Yang went to comfort her little sister.

"I see…" Ozpin sighed as he closed his eyes and took in a breath. "Team RWBY, you are dismissed. Thank you for your report."

"Come on, people. It's Friday and it looks like Ruby needs a night on the town." Mercury suggested as he led the still shell-shocked team back into the elevator.

"Good idea, Merc." Yang agreed. "We all need a break." The elevator doors then closed.

"Another team taken before their time." Ozpin wearily sighed as he swiveled around in his chair to look at the setting sun.

Minutes seemed to fly by as Ozpin merely took in the sunset until the ding of the elevator broke him out of his reverie.

"Have the casualty reports been filed, Glynda?" He asked without turning to look at his guest.

"Would you rather I pretend to be your assistant, Professor?" A deep synthetic voice filled the office as Ozpin's eyes widened. Quickly shooting up from his chair, his cane in hand, he turned to face the owner of the voice. "Because I have no time for charades."

"Specter…" Ozpin greeted the man.

Standing before him was Specter in all of his glory. The soft green lighting of the office reflected off of the pitch black visor and cast him in an overall unnatural glow, which added to his intimidation factor.

"Hello, Professor." Specter greeted Ozpin with a nod of the head, then linked his hands behind his back, his black cloak fluttering a bit as he did so. "We have much to talk about…"

 **AN: So, what did you guys think? As I said, I wanted to do so much more with this one, but I had to limit myself to what we have here. I changed my mind about Cinder not being an option for the pairing, and as you can see, both Blake and Cinder are in on this now, so the next big question is if there should be a fourth girl, or if I should just stick with three. What do you guys think? Fourth girl? If so, who? I'm still leaning towards Pyrrha as an addition, but at this point, I'm not sure if I want to even add a fourth girl, so you guys need to impress me! Give me compelling reasons for who the fourth girl should be, or if there shouldn't be a fourth girl!**

 **Now, onto more pressing matters. With the introduction of Salem, it added an entirely new dimension to this Fic in particular. I'll say it now: Salem will have little to no impact on this story, as I already have plans written up that don't involve Salem at all. Ruby having magical silver eyes, however, works nicely with what I have planned, but you guys will just have to patiently wait until I get to the eventual Battle of Beacon.**

 **Overall, what did you guys think, though? Was the mini lime unnecessary? Was the addition of Cinder unnecessary? Was it executed too fast? And what about Blake? Let me know!**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Chapter 6 is here, finally! Sorry this one took so long, I sort of got carried away with the dialogue in this update. It's all important, though, and it had to be done. Before we begin, what do you guys picture Specter's voice being? Personally, I envision it sounding like Sovereign's voice from Mass Effect, but I'm curious as to what you all think his voice sounds like. Now, onwards to chapter 6!**

 **Chapter 6: Is This the Beginning?**

"So… to what do I owe this pleasure?" Asked Ozpin as he tightened his grip on his cane, expecting an attack at any time.

"You may relax, Professor." Specter's deep synthetic voice filled the room once again. "I came here not to fight, merely to negotiate."

"Negotiate?" Ozpin echoed the masked man in front of him. "Whatever for?"

"Come now, Professor." The faintest echo of amusement seemed to find its way through the voice synthesizer. "You must know of my plans by now, if you haven't had me figured out from the very beginning. You're a very clever and shrewd man, one that gives me pause admittedly. So, tell me, Professor, what am I planning?"

"Plain and simple… a revolution." Ozpin answered, slightly lowering his cane. "You wish to wrestle power away from the Kingdoms, you wish to replace a faulty system with a more efficient one… and you wish to liberate the Hunter Academies from the oversight of the Kingdoms as a whole, you wish to make us our own separate entity so we might better fight the Grimm on our own terms."

"Aptly put, Professor." Specter clapped. "Indeed, I was right to exercise caution when dealing with you. You truly do have me all figured out."

"But what I fail to understand is why you would come all this way just to talk to me. You obviously must know that the Kingdoms want you dead, so why reveal yourself to me?"

"Because, contrary to what the Kingdoms would have you believe, I don't want to make an enemy of the Huntsmen and Huntresses, nor their Academies. As you pointed out, I wish to liberate the Academies, and to do that, the Academies need to survive my revolution." Specter began to explain. "I wish to guarantee the Academies' neutrality when it comes time for the revolution to take place, if not ally with them wholesale. I recognize that the Hunters are needed in the war against the Grimm and I know that you are being chaffed by the Kingdoms and their oversight committees, so…"

"So, you've come before me to ask for a non-aggression pact at the very least." Ozpin surmised. "Dare I assume you'd ask for an alliance?"

"You may assume." Specter nodded as he took one of the chairs in front of Ozpin's desk and sat. "And if you had indeed assumed so, then you would be right." He then noticed that Ozpin had yet to let his guard down. "Please, Professor, be at ease. I reiterate that I haven't come here to fight."

"You must forgive me for being overly cautious." The bespectacled Headmaster finally let out a sigh and sat, flipping a switch on his desk as he did so a hard light chessboard phased into view. "You never truly know a person, or their intentions, until you sit down and talk… and seeing as you have made no move to initiate hostilities, I'll extend you the same courtesy… white moves first." He finished, motioning for Specter to begin the game.

"I had assumed you were a chess player, Professor." Again, amusement made its way through the synthesizer. "Negotiations over a chess game… I must admit, this is a first for me." He picked up one of the hard light pawns and moved it. "But, alas, a welcome change."

"The terms of this non-aggression pact…" Ozpin began, pausing only to move forward one of his own black pawns. "Is it as clear-cut as I'm assuming it to be, or do you have any proper terms?"

"No additional terms other than refusing your students or staff to get involved when the time comes." Another pawn was moved.

"And a potential alliance…" Yellow eyes glanced up from the board and into the unreadable metal plate that was Specter's mask. "If I were to say yes, how involved would Beacon Academy be?"

"Only as far as taking Vale is concerned." Specter assured the Headmaster, who had just moved a knight. "Afterwards, you need not commit any other forces if you so wish." This time, a knight was moved to counter Ozpin's knight.

"Civilian casualties could be high." An edge made its way into Ozpin's gaze and voice. "Have you taken this into consideration?" Another pawn had been moved.

"Of course I have." The knight takes the pawn. "I'll do my utmost to mitigate it, but as with all wars, sometimes it can't be helped."

"An unfortunate truth." Ozpin hummed as his own knight took Specter's. "I assume you'd want Beacon to help with the evacuation of civilians if I agree to the pact?"

"As is your duty." Specter nodded. "Should you agree, your main role would be civilian evacuation. And if you ally yourself with me, your role would be civilian evacuation and support for my troops."

"So, you _do_ have an army…" The aged Huntsman noted. "Interesting."

"Interesting indeed…" Specter hummed as he took one of Ozpin's rooks with a bishop.

For some time, the two played their game in silence. There was nothing else that needed to be said, and they both knew that the game had devolved into a war by proxy. Specter knew that Ozpin would refuse and Ozpin knew that Specter was probing him, testing his character, looking for any figurative chinks in the armor. There they were, two chess masters, two of the smartest people in all of Remnant, coming to blows through their game of choice.

"You can't win, Specter." Ozpin finally broke the silence as he moved his queen into position. "I can't let you win… I _won't_ let you win."

"Hm…" Specter once again hummed as he noted that he was in check. "Is that arrogance I sense, Professor? Now that you're winning, you're letting your pride get the better of you… good to know that even the great Ozpin can be blinded and brought to heel…" He then moved his last remaining rook up to block the opposing queen.

Instead of taking the rook with his queen, Ozpin used his remaining knight to take it, placing Specter back into check.

"You'll bring nothing but destruction upon Remnant if you were to win." Ozpin spoke once again. "If you return here with your army, Beacon shall stand against you… and I shall put you to the sword myself."

"You're very welcome to try." Specter rose to the challenge as he took Ozpin's knight with his last remaining pawn.

In response, Ozpin immediately took the pawn with his queen, oblivious to the smirk underneath Specter's mask. Upon Ozpin taking the pawn, Specter moved his own queen up and took Ozpin's queen… which ended the game.

"It seems I win regardless of your bravado, Professor." Specter leaned back into his chair and stretched. "No one has ever pushed me that far before, I commend you. But you were so desperate to win that you overlooked the fact that you had pinned your own king in, with the only avenue of approach being guarded by your queen, who you foolishly left tied up putting my king in check."

"This chessboard isn't the war…" Yellow eyes rose from the board and stared into the horizontal slit that was Specter's visor. "You may have won the game, but you stand no chance when the true war comes. To me, you're still a child playing with forces he has yet to even comprehend." Yellow eyes narrowed as Ozpin reached for his cane. "You will lose… and you will die."

"It has been an enlightening game, Professor." Specter casually brushed the Headmaster off without a care in the world. "I regret that you will not be joining me, but alas, Vale must have someone to blame for what's to come… and when the time comes and I've taken your kingdom from you, they'll blame you for the hell that you volunteered the country to. They'll strike your name from the records… by the time I'm done…" To Ozpin's surprise, Specter disappeared completely from view, only to reappear behind him with his back turned to the Headmaster. "You will have ceased to exist. You have no place in my new world, so now you must disappear."

"Not likely!" Ozpin struck out with his cane, but Specter once again disappeared before the hit could connect.

"I bid you adieu, Professor." Specter's voice echoed throughout the office. "Until next we meet."

Ozpin only allowed himself a mere few seconds of silence before he immediately jumped into action. Pressing a few buttons on his desks heads-up display he called up Glynda.

"Yes, sir?" Glynda's voice sounded through the line.

"I need the entire Academy on lockdown, Glynda! Now!" He didn't mean to sound panicked, but it shone through in his voice anyway.

"What's happened?!"

"Specter's here and we can't let him escape! Do it quietly, though, no need to get the students involved."

"Right away!"

"Specter…" Ozpin hummed as he sat back down in his chair and linked his hands under his chin in a temple. "What's your next move? What will you do now…?"

 **(Vale City: With Teams NBSE, RWBY and JNPR: Same time)**

"Wow." Yang chuckled. "I had no idea you liked ramen so much, Naruto."

Yes, the three teams were currently sitting at a ramen stand. At Mercury's suggestion to lighten the mood after the fate of Team CRDL surfaced, they all hit the town as it was the weekend and their first stop happened to be a ramen stand… which Naruto was currently indulging himself of… or he would if the Naruto that was with them were the real Naruto and not a Shadow Clone.

"You kidding me?" The clone raised an eyebrow at his fellow blonde. "I love the stuff!"

"Blake seems to be enjoying it as well." Ren noted with the faintest hint of an amused smile at the couple's shared love of ramen.

Indeed, Blake was currently slurping down her serving of fish ramen, her cat ears twitching in delight. When the truth about Blake came out, nearly everyone in their circle still welcomed her with open arms… save for Weiss, who was more than a bit defensive when it came to her new relationship with not only Blake but nearly all of Team NBSE, as with the truth of Blake's Faunus heritage also came the truth that she, Naruto and Frost were all ex-White Fang members… so yes, tensions were high for the heiress to say the least.

But that didn't stop the three teams from having a good time. As both the clone of Naruto and Blake scarfed down their ramen, Nora joined in on what she thought was an eating contest, much to Ren's dismay.

"How many bowls does this make now?" Jaune absently wondered aloud.

"Four for Naru, three for Blake and three for Nora." Frost counted out.

"Another!" Nora slammed her bowl onto the table after drinking the broth that was left.

"I'm done." Blake shook her head. "This wasn't even a contest in the first place, Nora."

"She's right, Nora." Ren counseled his partner. "Besides, Pyrrha's paying, and we shouldn't impose."

"No, no." Pyrrha also shook her head. "Please, eat as much as you want."

"There's such a thing as being too nice, you know." Mercury chuckled as he slurped down some of his own miso ramen.

"Leave the girl alone, Merc." Emerald lightly chastised her friend. "If she wants to pay, then let her. I'm not complaining."

"Ruby!" Naruto's clone called out to her after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. "Come on, enjoy the night! You haven't even touched your ramen!"

"S-Sorry…" The young Rose managed to say, though her voice was subdued. "It's just that… I-I'm trying to process it all…" She began to absently play with her food using her chopsticks.

"Take all the time you need, Red." Surprisingly, Frost came to her aid. "We're all friends here, so if you need to talk, you can come to any one of us."

"Are we really all friends here, Fang?" Weiss finally spoke up, glowering dangerously at the three Faunus at the table. "You sure you're capable of being friends with a human?"

"Have a care, Weiss…" Naruto's clone drawled, much like Naruto himself would have done. "We're here to have a good time and forget about everything. If you're gonna ruin the night with your bigotry, then you're welcome to leave right now."

"And who are you to tell me what to do?!" She snapped. "Your organization has been the cause of countless murders within my family, including my Uncle! Who's to say his murderer isn't sitting at this table right now?!"

"Do you know the meaning of 'shut up'?" Frost asked as his grip on his chopsticks began to tighten. "If not, I suggest you take a trip back to your dear daddy and ask him to buy you a dictionary."

"You will hold your tongue, _animal_!"

"Weiss!" Mercury stepped in.

 **CRACK!**

"Fuck this!" Frost exclaimed as he tossed aside his broken chopsticks and stormed off into the shadows of Vale City's night life.

"Frost!" Naruto's clone called after him, abandoning his ramen for his friend.

"Frost, wait!" Blake also got up to try and chase him.

"Dammit, Frost!" Emerald groaned as she joined the rest of her team in the search.

"Real smooth, Ice Queen." Mercury sighed. "Just ruined the night…"

"Come on." Jaune stood up. "Let's help them find Frost."

"Good idea." Pyrrha agreed with her Leader.

"As for you…" Yang regarded the heiress. "You can go and get lost. We don't need your help."

"As if I need yours!" Weiss called after the retreating forms of her team and her friends.

 **(With Pyrrha: Same time)**

Immediately after agreeing to search for Frost, everyone split up to cover more ground. Here we find Pyrrha running through the streets of Vale's industrial district. The streets were relatively sparse, a light fog was rolling in off of the ocean, engulfing both the port district and the industrial district within its gray haze, but not enough to obscure the Champion's vision as she winded down the streets in search of her friend.

As she turned right into an alley, as she wanted to check every corner, she noticed a lone figure standing at the end of said alley with their back facing her, but she couldn't make out who it was because of the fog.

"Frost?" She called out to the figure as she approached cautiously. "Frost, is that you?"

"You're the second person that's mistaken me for someone else today, Miss Nikos." A deep synthetic voice filled the air as Pyrrha instantly stopped in her tracks.

The figure turned on his heel and began approaching her, and she knew exactly who he was despite the fog. She was staring down Specter himself and he was currently approaching her, slowly, as if he were a predator savoring the moment before a kill.

"Stay away!" She yelled and instinctively flared out her Semblance in an effort to push him back… he just kept walking as if nothing happened.

"Please, Miss Nikos." Specter spoke once again. "I've come to talk, nothing more. You have my word."

"The word of a terrorist and a killer?" She rebutted. "I'm sorry, but no."

"How's your time at Beacon been, Miss Nikos?" Specter linked his hands behind his back as he continued his walk towards her. "Everything you hoped it would be? An escape from your perfect little world?"

"I said no talking!" She tried to interrupt him with another wave of her Polarity, again to no avail.

"But isn't that what you want?" He countered as he brushed past her. "To talk so someone without them fawning over your fame or trying to exploit you for your status?" He began to pace around her. "Isn't that what you truly want, Miss Nikos?"

"What I want is irrelevant!" Green eyes followed the pacing black clad figure as he made circles around her.

"I beg to differ." That synthetic voice was starting to grate on her nerves. "What you want is of utmost import. That is, after all, why you came to Beacon in the first place, no? You come all the way here to Vale from Mistral because you knew that if you enrolled in Haven, you'd continue to be put on a pedestal, pampered and treated like a doll… Mistral's shining star, their champion… little more than a girl trying desperately to break out of that shell, to be known as just _Pyrrha Nikos_."

"…" Her gaze lowered to the pavement below in silent contemplation, her face neutral and eyes lightly shaking as the walls began to crumble.

"One would call that selfish, you know." Specter lightly chuckled. "But sometimes we're entitled to be selfish, no?"

"Selfish…" Pyrrha finally spoke, her voice just above a whisper. "Is that what you're calling your atrocities? Being selfish?"

"No." Specter shook his head as he made his third lap around her. "I call it necessary."

"How can murder be necessary?" Her voice was desperate, just like the gaze she was casting upon the ground. "It should _never_ be necessary to take someone's life!"

"If only we lived in a perfect world." Specter seemed to sigh through his synthesizer. "But, alas, we do not. Miss Nikos, I'm doing what I'm doing out of necessity. I'm doing it because the Kingdoms have utterly failed us. One could make the argument that they protect us all from the Creatures of Grimm, but do they really? Is it the Kingdoms or the Hunter Academies of the world? If it truly is the Kingdoms, then the Academies are the ones who have failed…"

"And if it's the Academies…" Pyrrha followed his thought process... and then it all clicked.

"Then the Kingdoms have failed us." Specter nodded as he began his fifth lap. "But truly, who can say which is correct? The Kingdoms allow the Academies to exist within their borders and the Academies use this gifted land as their own to train new Huntsmen and Huntresses every day. This cycle has gone on since the end of the Great War eighty years ago, and because this cycle has existed since that time…"

"… Then the Academies are innocent." Another question then clicked within Pyrrha's mind. "Innocent of what, exactly? What have the Kingdoms done to have failed us?"

"For one, they allow someone like me to exist." Specter continued on with his explanation. "Secondly, look around at the world as it is now. There's been a lasting peace since the end of the Great War, it's true… but if you look deeper, if you look past all of the propaganda and pay attention to the overall scheme of things, you'll find one glaring fact: The Kingdoms are using the Academies and their Hunters as their own private military companies. Some Hunters take contracts with their home Kingdoms right after graduating, some sign themselves on for less than reputable jobs for shady businessmen and others remain loyal to their Academies, looking towards their Headmasters and First Hunters for leadership and guidance."

"How do you know all of this?" Green eyes caught a glimpse of Specter's visor as he passed her once again. "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You don't know if I'm telling the truth or not, Miss Nikos." Specter counseled the young Champion. "And if you were wise, you'd not trust anyone save for yourself and your own instincts… but as to how I know all of this, you could say that I am an expert in this field. I was a mercenary at one point, a freelance soldier. I contracted myself with the different Kingdoms, I lent my services to anyone who needed them and I was paid quite handsomely… but not handsomely enough to keep a lid on all of the dirty little secrets I learned about the Kingdoms during my tenure of service to them. If you find that you indeed don't believe me, then ask your friend Naruto. He and I are old associates, as I was working as his partner at one point."

"You mean…" Pyrrha balked at the implication Specter was presenting her with. "N-Naruto… he…"

"He was privy to all of this information as well." Specter nodded, then stopped his pacing in front of her. "In fact, it was this very Kingdom of Vale who hired me to kill him when he threatened to come forward with what he knew. That's what drove him into hiding and pushed him to join the White Fang… and it was also my influence that drove him from his home once again and pushed him to enroll at Beacon. You could say that our paths were destined to be entwined together. We're two sides of the same coin."

"S-Still…" Pyrrha tried to recompose herself. "There are better ways to change the world than revolution!"

"I gave the Kingdoms a chance to stop." Specter admitted. "It was after my mission to kill Naruto. I reported into the Council of Vale, gave my report, and when they dismissed me, I instead told them of what Naruto told me during our encounter. I asked them if it was true and they didn't even bother lying to me. With my confirmation, I promptly left their chambers and disappeared for a time, only showing up again during the annual meeting of the Councils of the Four Kingdoms, the Conclave." Specter paused to give Pyrrha a chance to take it all in.

"What happened then?" She was enthralled. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was firmly engrossed with the tale, and to Specter himself to some extent.

"I made my way into Conclave, where I obviously wasn't wanted. Guards tried to stop me, but I forced my way into the Council Chambers where I found all sixteen of them waiting for me. I then tried to get them to change their policies, let the Academies rule themselves, build up their armies so they could defend themselves without the 24/7 support of the Huntsmen and Huntresses and end the wars by proxy they were waging on each other… they refused me outright and declared me a criminal because I wanted what was best for not only my Kingdom, but Remnant as a whole."

"And so you embraced the role they gave you? You became a criminal and called for a revolution all while hoping that you could make things better?" The anger was returning now. "Violence begets violence, hatred breeds resentment! What you're doing will just make things worse!"

"And you still don't believe me… or you won't accept what I'm doing, at least." Specter managed a sigh. "In time, you will see that I am right."

"Why?" What he was doing finally caught up with her. With shaking hands a figurative fire lit in her eyes, she stared right into his visor. "Why are you telling me all of this?" She asked, her voice shaky as the implications weighed upon her.

"Because, Miss Nikos…" Behind his mask, Specter finally cracked a smile. She had finally followed it all through to the end and his breath had not been wasted. "I need your help."

"You need my help because of my status!" She snapped. "You want to use me! I'd be nothing more to you than a tool that you'd toss aside after my use runs out!"

"No." He shook his head. "I need your help because you are an exceptional woman. It has nothing to do with your status as a celebrity or your standing with Mistral. I need your help because you can bring a pure voice to my revolution. You can speak to the people in a way that I could only dream of. You are a ray of light within the darkness we now find ourselves in… and I find myself wanting to preserve you, to save you from what's to come… I need you, Pyrrha. I need you on my side because I'm _scared._ " He took a step towards her. "I need you because with you, I see the potential to save countless scores of people who would otherwise stand up to me and oppose my every move. In you I see a way to make a difference, to give my revolution a voice as it's lacking one, save for my own."

"Y-You…" She was stunned. There was Specter, the most wanted man in all of Remnant, a man who has been painted as a murderer and a terrorist… asking, genuinely asking for her help because he sees that if he were to go through with his revolution, he might very well destroy the world he's trying to save. Not only that, but if his story was true, then he was labeled a murderer and a terrorist wrongly by the Kingdoms, he was defending himself when his employers turned on him… everything suddenly made sense to her. "You mean it…? You want me to be your voice? You want me to… help you save this world before it destroys itself opposing you?"

"Yes." He nodded. "But I won't pressure you into a decision immediately." Specter turned away from her and began to walk away, back into the fog. "Take some time, reach your own conclusions about what I've told you, speak with Naruto if you feel so inclined to validate my words."

"But how will I get into contact with you?" She called out to him before he disappeared into the gray.

"Talk with Naruto." His response stunned her more than it should have. "Despite our past grievances, he and I have found a middle ground and have put aside our differences. If you wish to contact me, go to him. He'll handle everything. Until then, Miss Nikos." Specter bowed his head to her, then disappeared back into the gray, his footfalls echoing throughout the fog until they too faded.

"Way to go, Pyrrha…" She sighed to herself, slumping against one of the walls of the alley. "In contact with a misunderstood terrorist, crazy conspiracy theories… just another day in Vale, I guess…"

 **(Junior's Club: VIP Lounge: Same time)**

"F-Frost…" Moaned one Melanie Malachite as Frost relentlessly attacked her exposed neck, his fangs prodding her pliable flesh and his claws teasing the skin of her thighs as she straddled him in the booth.

"Your voice is heaven…" Frost's husky voice tickled her ear as he nibbled at it. "Let me hear more of it…" A firm hand on her ass coaxed a throaty moan from his female guest.

With one hand on her ass, his other hand went to work untying her bodice as she slipped off her feather scarf. The bodice had just been untied when a spiral vortex formed in the middle of the room and grew in circumference until it nearly reached the roof of the lounge. As Frost lightly pushed Melanie off of him, he stood with a smirk, absently slipping on his jacket over his bare torso.

"About time you got here." He shot his smirk at the vortex.

"Looks like you've been keeping yourself entertained." Naruto stated, his voice being synthesized into Specter's voice thanks to his mask as he stepped out of his Kamui portal, which promptly faded. "Please, don't let me keep you."

"Naruto, you're here?" Melanie questioned, then wryly smirked. "Let me get Miltia and we can make this a real party."

"Sadly, I must pass, Mels." He slipped his mask off and laid it upon the bar of the lounge, then unclasped his cloak, draping it over the very same bar and regarded the younger Malachite twin. "Neo and Cinder would kill me if I even considered cheating on them."

"And what do you call your fling with Blake?" Frost collapsed back into the booth he was previously sitting in.

"Improvisation." He defended himself, the sound of his normal voice a slightly foreign thing since he had been in his Specter attire for most of the day. "Besides, they approve of Blake. Cinder's actually asked me more than once if I'm going to try and bring her over to our side."

"And will you?"

"The more the merrier." He shrugged as he retrieved a bottle of scotch from behind the bar, unlidded it and took a swig straight from the bottle. "Speaking of which, Pyrrha might or might not come around to my way of thinking."

"She was that easy to crack?" Frost asked as he peered over Melanie's shoulder as she had taken to trying to resume where they had left off.

"By no means was she easy to crack." He shook his head. "But progress has been made. Only time will tell if she comes around or not." He then stood and set his bottle of scotch on the bar. "I'm gonna go get changed. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Frost merely flipped off his best friend's back as he disappeared into one of the side rooms of the lounge in order to change himself back into his everyday attire. As he went back to work on Melanie, he couldn't help but groan when his Scroll began ringing. With a huff, he withdrew the thing from his jacket pocket and answered.

"Yeah?" He rudely addressed the caller.

"Where the hell have you been, asshole?!" Emerald returned the rudeness. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Check the industrial district for me. There's a club there, and a damn good one, too. Naru's here with me, he just got here."

"A club?!" She snapped. "Of all the… you know what? Fuck it, fine. I'll get everyone and meet you two there."

"Let me guess…" Naruto voiced his arrival once again as he exited the side room. "Em's on her way with everyone?"

"Yep." Frost nodded as he lightly pushed Melanie off once again. "Looks like the night is still salvageable."

"You do realize that Weiss will be here as well?" He began to chuckle. "A prune like her getting wasted? You know you wanna see that." He was just giddy at that thought.

"Should I go and let Junior know we're expecting guests?" Melanie asked.

"Please." Frost nodded, then regarded his best friend. "Might wanna pack your stuff up before they get here." He gestured to Naruto's mask and cloak.

Accepting Frost's suggestion, Naruto quickly picked up the mask and cloak, then rolled up the right sleeve of his duster, revealing a Fuuinjutsu matrix drawn around his forearm. After forming the Half-Ram seal with his left hand, the two items disappeared in a plume of smoke, now sealed within the matrix.

"You gotta teach me that shit at some point." Frost idly commented as he went for the bar.

"I'm not sure if you or anyone in this world would even be capable of learning Ninjutsu." Naruto shook his head as he took the bottle of scotch from before and took another swig. "And I'm not sure if I'd even want to teach anyone how to use it."

"Make peace with being a teacher, bro." Frost advised. "Soon enough you're probably gonna be a Dad, and your kids will most likely have the capability to perform your Ninjutsu."

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." He shrugged, then drank another portion of his scotch.

What felt like hours passed for the duo as they sat and drank in silence, but was really only a good half hour as Team JNPR, Yang, Mercury, Emerald and Blake showed up at once, with Yang leading the pack, a noticeable sway to her hips.

"Junior!" She called out to the bartender. "Guess who's back?!"

"Blondie." Junior nodded his head to the blonde with a chuckle. "Heard we'd be receiving company. Kid's up in the VIP area with your friend… and drinks are on his tab."

"Seriously?" Blake deadpanned. "Naruto's actually paying for everything?"

"I'm still surprised you decided to come along." Yang noted. "I thought you'd go back to Beacon with Weiss and Ruby."

"I've been too uptight recently. It's about time I learn how to have fun."

"Good kitty!" The blonde brawler beamed as she strutted her way through the club.

"It's time to PAAAAR-TAYY!" Nora announced as she all but disappeared into the club.

"I feel bad for you." Mercury patted Ren's shoulder, barely holding in his laughter.

"I feel bad for me as well…" Ren sighed, resigning himself to his fate.

"This is my first time in a place like this..." Jaune admitted, shuffling in place uncomfortably.

"Look what we have here, Miltia." Melanie said as she and her twin sister approached the knight. "Green as grass."

"What should we do with him, Mels?" Miltia asked as she looked him up and down.

"You two leave him alone!" Junior barked to the twins, much to both Jaune and Pyrrha's relief. "Come here, kid, I'll get you straightened out."

As Jaune reluctantly approached the bar, Mercury was the next to disappear into the crowd of the club, followed by Ren who was searching desperately for his partner, leaving only Blake, Pyrrha and Emerald standing at the entrance.

"Well, it's just us, I guess." The cat Faunus of the pair sighed, then turned to Pyrrha. "Should we head up to the lounge? Let Naruto and Frost know we're here?"

"I think that would be best." Pyrrha nodded, doing her best to hide her desperation to talk with the blonde fox Faunus.

"You two go ahead, I'm gonna stay down here." Emerald called after them as they began walking. "I feel like letting loose on the dance floor."

And so the Faunus and the champion made their way up the steps and entered the lounge, where they found Naruto and Frost drinking at the bar.

"So, the whole crowd showed up?" Naruto asked as he turned in his stool to face his girlfriend with a smile. "I didn't notice Weiss or Ruby, but maybe that's for the best."

"Weiss is too much of a prune to even be seen in a club." Blake scoffed. "And Ruby's still fifteen. Of course it's for the best." She then sauntered over to her boyfriend and shared a quick kiss with him, despite the kiss tasting like the scotch he was drinking… which she liked, but she'd never admit it.

"What was that for?" He questioned after the kiss ended.

"Just felt like the thing to do." She shrugged, then sat in the stool next to him.

"You just like being all lovey-dovey now that you've _finally_ gotten together." Frost laughed from his spot to Naruto's right. "If we were still with the Fangs, then I'd have just won big from the betting pool on whether you two would get together."

"If we were still with the Fangs, then Adam would have lost his shit and attacked me." Naruto countered. "And we'd be one brother down."

"They were never our brothers or sisters." Blake had to force herself to bite back the hostility as she swiped Naruto's scotch from him and took a sip.

"E-Excuse me…" Pyrrha made her presence known."

"Oh, sorry, Pyrrha." Naruto sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "You were just so quiet that I didn't notice you."

"Something wrong?" Blake asked. "You really were being quiet."

"… Nothing." She shook her head negative, deciding to not ruin the night by bringing up what had happened. "I was just thinking that you two really do make a cute couple." A genuine giggle escaped her.

"W-Well…" Naruto blushed. "We've known each other for a long time, and…"

"We were stubborn." Blake fought through her own blush. "More like _I_ was stubborn."

"That you were, babe." Naruto chuckled as he stood from his stool and hugged his girlfriend from behind. "But that's one of the things I like about you." He kissed her cheek, then took his scotch back from her and continued drinking.

"Get a damn room!" Frost teased the young couple.

"You three have fun." Pyrrha said as she walked out of the lounge. "I'm going to see how Jaune's doing."

By the time she reached the base of the stairs, she saw that Emerald was dancing her heart out on the dance floor, along with Yang, Nora and Ren were at the bar with Jaune and Mercury was off flirting with the Malachite Twins. All in all, she could safely say that everyone was having a good time… but as she took a seat next to the rest of her team, she couldn't help but think back to her conversation with Specter. At some point, she had to confront Naruto with it all, she _needed_ confirmation. But she wouldn't worry about it now. Tonight was a night of revels… or it would have been had the front doors of the club not been shoved open by the Vale Police Department.

All dancing, drinking and music stopped upon the police filing in behind a man in a black suit and overcoat. As the man approached the bar, Junior managed a frown, but nevertheless continued polishing the glass in his hand.

"Hei Xiong?" The man in the black overcoat asked.

"That'd be me." Junior replied with a positive nod.

"One of your regular patrons, one Naruto Uzumaki, has been summoned by the Council of Vale." The man explained. "We've come to retrieve him."

"Oh shit…" Emerald cursed as she calmly exited the dance floor and up the stairs into the VIP Lounge to warn Naruto about what was taking place.

"The hell's going on out there, Em?" Frost questioned. "The music's stopped."

"Some lackey of the Council's here. They've summoned you, Naruto."

"Why?" Blake questioned. "What would they want with you?"

"Most likely to question me about Specter." Naruto groaned. "Something must have happened to warrant them reaching out to me after trying to have me killed."

"They _WHAT?!_ " The cat Faunus raged just as the man in the overcoat turned the corner into the lounge.

"Naruto Uzumaki…" The man growled and narrowed his eyes at the blonde Faunus. "Leader of Team NBSE and freshman of Beacon Academy, the Council of Vale has called upon you."

"And why, pray tell, would they want to speak to me, huh?" He harshly questioned the man. "They tried to _assassinate_ me for fuck's sake!"

"Your old associate Specter infiltrated Beacon tonight with no alarms raised and made it into Headmaster Ozpin's office…" He began.

"Oh no…" Blake gasped, expecting the worst.

"Words were exchanged over a game of chess and Specter left after trying to convince Ozpin to betray his Kingdom and join the supposed 'revolution' that's being planned." Blake sighed in relief at the man's words. "The Council, despite your history with them, wishes to bring you in and question you of Specter's motives, as you knew him the best. You have insight as to his character; you know what drives him, what his goals are. The Council wishes to put differences aside for the moment to combat a shared enemy."

"Naru?" Frost turned to his best friend. "What are you gonna do?"

"… I'll go." Naruto decided after a moment of consideration. "Take me to them."

"Very well." The man nodded. "Follow me, we have a car waiting."

"Frost, you're in charge of the team until I get back." Naruto told his friend as he rose from his stool.

"Got it." Frost nodded.

"Naruto…" Blake shot up from her stool and grasped one of his arms. "Be careful."

"Always am." He smiled and pulled her into a kiss which lasted but a moment.

As Naruto and the man in the overcoat made their way through the club, all eyes were on him, wondering eyes that were curious as to why the Council would summon someone in the late hours of the night, let alone a Faunus. And then there were his friends. As he passed each one, he gave a reassuring nod until he got to Mercury.

"Get this over with quick, our little circle might fall apart without you." Mercury joked as they shared a fist bump.

"Make sure it doesn't, Merc." Naruto smirked. "But if I'm not back before tomorrow, take everyone out for some _ice cream_. My treat."

The stare and the slight emphasis on ice cream conveyed the message clearly to Merc. Go find Neo. And Merc knew that if Neo was with Roman, then Naruto would want him to inform Roman as well, and Roman would inform Cinder. The more he thought about it as he stared at Naruto's retreating form, the more it became clear… the first big move was about to take place.

But the real question was not what would happen to the Council at the end of it all… it was whether or not the revolution would be kicking off early. Shaking himself free of such thoughts, Mercury quickly slipped out of the club after the cops had left and made for the docks, with Frost following suit seconds behind him.

"You go and get Torchwick ready!" Frost called out to his fellow revolutionary. "I'm gonna go prep Adam and my other brothers and sisters!"

"Got it!" Mercury yelled back to Frost, then began running as fast as his mechanical legs could take him, arriving at the warehouse in record time.

Upon arriving, he damn near took the door off its hinges as he busted through it in his rush.

"Hey!" Roman snapped, annoyed. "You break that door, you pay for a damn replacement!"

"Shut it, Torchwick!" Mercury returned with equal heat. "Where's Cinder?!"

"What's happened?" Roman took note of the urgency in Mercury's voice.

"The Council's taken Naruto!"

"Oh shit…" Roman muttered as he turned to the back room.

"You hear that you two?! Your knight in shining armor's been nabbed! The Council's made the first move!"

"To be expected." Cinder hummed as she made her way to the desk in the center of the room. "If the Council has Naruto, then they're going to question him about Specter. This means the first phase has begun."

"Should I get our boys ready?" Roman questioned.

"Frost's mobilizing the White Fang right now, so I'd say we should get our people ready as well." Mercury added to the conversation while crossing his arms.

"Then our course is decided." Cinder agreed to the plan. "Depending on how the world takes what's about to happen, then our revolution might be nigh at hand. Make sure everyone's ready."

Promptly, Roman and Mercury both went to work making sure everything was set and ready while Cinder leaned over the desk to look at the map of Remnant that was sitting on it.

It was the moment of truth for everything. The first big move. She only hoped that things would go according to plan.

 **AN: The moment of truth indeed! What will happen with the Council? What will happen with Pyrrha? Will there be war, or is this just a prelude of what's to come? Only time will tell!**

 **So, what did you guys think? I know this was a dialogue heavy chapter, but it couldn't be helped, and I only hope that this one's up to snuff. On the pairing front, the thought of adding Pyrrha to the mini-harem is sounding more and more like a good idea, but I still want input on this! Arguments for Pyrrha? Against? Arguments for a different girl? Let me know!**

 **Also, pay close attention to the chess scene, reread it if you have to. I sort of foreshadowed something using the chess match as the medium and I want to see if you guys can figure out what exactly I foreshadowed!**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Here I am once again with what could be my favorite story to write! Seriously, I** _ **love**_ **writing this one, it's not even funny! Sorry it took so long, between life, new ideas and updating my other stories, I had a lot on my plate. Fair warning: This one like last chapter will contain heavy dialogue. ONWARDS!**

 **Chapter 7: Welcome to the Family**

The Council Hall was grand, spacious and luxurious, befitting the four people in charge of the Kingdom of Vale. It was supposedly the most secure building in the entire Kingdom, yet walking through the front doors was their greatest enemy… and he had been invited. As Naruto made his way through the front doors of the establishment and through the many winding hallways, he took note of the level of security, the placement of the cameras, whatever he thought he'd need to remember in case he ever returned. His attention then shifted to his three escorts: The man in the black overcoat and two VCPD officers, the former walking just ahead of him and the two latter officers flanking behind him to his right and left.

His Dustsabers had been confiscated by the man in black and he could hear them clinking around in the man's coat pocket. It was a precaution and Naruto understood why they'd disarm him, given their known and unknown history, but for what was about to happen, he needed his weapons.

He was then led into what he surmised to be a waiting area, curiously enough. He had assumed that the Council would have wanted to see him post-haste, but it seemed that it was not the case.

"You'll be waiting here for a brief period of time." The man in black said as he handed Naruto's Dustsabers off to one of the officers. "I'll return when the Council is ready for you. Until then, you're welcome to whatever's in this room."

"Have a timetable for me?" Naruto asked in genuine curiosity.

"Shouldn't be more than an hour or two. Other cases are being held here, after all. Yours is just one in a long line."

"You'd think that mine would take priority." He scoffed as he sat upon the couch.

"Honestly…" The man sighed. "I agree with you. Specter is too big a threat to just ignore, yet the Council is taking their sweet time dealing with him."

"How do you think I feel?" Naruto retorted. "He was sent to kill me. On this very Council's orders, mind you, but they had reason. Specter, however…" He faked a shiver. "He enjoys the violence. He was more than happy to take the contract."

"How a person like Specter was allowed to live is beyond me…" The man sighed once again while shaking his head. "Hopefully you'll help rid us of this problem, Mr. Uzumaki."

"I'll do my best." Naruto nodded.

With nothing left to be said, the man returned Naruto's nod and promptly walked out, followed by the officer who now had the Dustsabers, and shut the door behind them.

"Well then…" He let out a weary sigh. "What's on TV?"

 **(Beacon Academy: Same time)**

"Raven, we don't have time to argue!" Yelled the one and only Qrow Branwen at his sister, who was standing in the far corner of Ozpin's office with her arms folded under her breasts. "Oz needs us there, and we'll be there!"

"If Specter shows up, I _will_ kill him!" Raven replied heatedly as her red eyes bore into the same shade of red that was her brother's. "The Council's useless; they won't pull the trigger on an assassination, so I'll do it for them!"

"We'll act as the Council needs us, Miss Branwen!" Ozpin snapped as he stood and took his cane into his hands, headed for the elevator. "And you will follow my orders to the letter! Am I clear?"

"… Crystal, Professor." Raven bit out.

"This isn't like you, Rae." Qrow shook his head. "You weren't like this during our Academy days. What the hell happened to you?"

"I woke up." Was Raven's short reply as she slipped on her mask. "When will you, brother?"

And with that, she held out her right hand in front of her and a reddish black portal opened up, which she stepped through and disappeared into its confines.

"Dammit, Rae…" Qrow muttered as he followed Ozpin into the elevator.

It was a silent ride down to the ground floor, whereupon the doors opening, Ozpin and Qrow were greeted to the sight of Teams NBSE, RWBY and JNPR, all looking anxious, save for Weiss who was less than thrilled about being dragged along.

"Ah, shit…" Qrow muttered under his breath as he facepalmed.

"Please, clear the way." Ozpin said as calmly as he could. "We have somewhere to be."

"And so do we!" Frost declared. "We were there when Naru got snatched up by the cops! We want in on whatever's going on!"

"Naruto's our friend!" Yang backed up the Faunus. "We have a right to be beside him!"

"He deserves to have people in his corner." Ren nodded. "He's been nothing but nice and supporting to us all, the least we could do is be there for him."

"Not possible." The normally stoic Ozpin was now starting to lose his temper. "Go back to your dorms or I will have you taken there by force."

"Try us, old man." Frost matched the Headmaster's temper with his own, fangs bared, claws out and icy blue eyes now glowing dangerously. "You'll get a war you're not prepared for!"

"Please, Frost." Pyrrha put a calming hand on his shoulder as she directed a fierce gaze to Ozpin. "Professor, please reconsider. We would like to just be there for Naruto. We don't have to be involved with whatever's going on, we just wish to be there for our friend."

"Uncle Qrow, please!" Ruby tried to prod her Uncle. "Naruto needs us there!"

"Oz…" Qrow finally spoke up. "You know if you say no, they're going to fight back and follow us anyway. What harm could letting them tag along cause?"

"Plenty." Ozpin responded, eyeing Frost and Blake harshly. "I can't take the chance."

"Then prepare to fight your way out of here, because they _won't_ let us pass without a 'yes'."

"Then it's time they learned their place." Ozpin prepared his cane, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

"You touch one hair on my niece's heads, and I swear to the Dust…" Qrow glowered with glowing red eyes. "You won't be walking out of here at all."

"Qrow, do you realize what you're saying? What's at stake tonight?!" The calm persona finally slipped. "Specter is the most dangerous threat Remnant has ever seen! The Council will finally be dealing with him tonight! We can't let them come; it's too dangerous for them!"

"Put some faith in them, Oz!" Qrow matched the head being thrown at him. "They've been training for this! They can handle themselves!"

"And if they can't, what then?!"

"Then you can put all the blame squarely on me! I'll take responsibility!"

With his gaze shifting from Qrow to the eleven teens in front of him, each one of them (save for Weiss once again) with a determined face, he let out a long sigh while lowering his cane.

"Very well." Ozpin resigned. "But if anything should happen to them, you're responsible."

"Thank you, Oz." Qrow nodded. "Now, we're behind schedule. I suggest we hurry it up."

"Follow us." Ozpin told the kids as he began walking at a brisk pace towards the landing pads.

As the now large group of people made their way to the waiting airship, something on the horizon caught Qrow's eye.

"Oz." He bit out through grit teeth. "Look."

"… Dammit." Ozpin cursed at what he was seeing.

 **(With Naruto: Same time)**

"The hell is that thrumming?" Naruto asked aloud as he tore his attention away from the TV.

"Beats me." The officer in the room shrugged.

"Should we go check?" Naruto asked, faking ignorance, even though he knew exactly what was happening.

"You say here." The officer ordered. "I'll go."

"Hey, at least take me to the bathroom as well! I gotta piss!"

"Dammit, fine!" The officer groaned.

As the officer opened the door and motioned for his compatriot standing guard outside to follow, Naruto had to stop himself from smirking. Things were falling into place nicely. He had an inkling of what was going on, but now he knew for sure. He silently followed his escorts to a neighboring hallway which held a bathroom.

"Watch him." The officer from before warned his partner as he walked off to investigate what was happening outside.

"Go on." The second officer opened the door for Naruto, then promptly followed him in.

' _I have to get out of here… the time is nearly right…'_ Naruto thought to himself as he stepped into one of the stalls to relieve himself. _'How fortunate that the officer who has my weapons is also here with me…'_

After zipping up, he turned to the locked stall door and slowly slid the lock from its place. He took in a breath and slowly counted to three in his head. Upon reaching three, he shoulder-charged the now unlocked door, sending it careening open the officer's back and sending the man flying forward into the sinks and the Dustsabers clinking to the ground as they fell out of his pocket.

Shooting a Chakra thread out of his right index finger and onto the hilt of one of his Dustsabers, in one smooth motion, Naruto yanked the weapon to his hand, hit the igniter and stabbed the man through his heart just as he was reaching for his weapon. After deactivating the crimson blade of his Dustsaber, Naruto calmly picked up its twin and hooked them back on his belt while also rolling up his duster's right sleeve so he could access his sealing matrix. Eyeing the particular seal he wished to use, Naruto channeled some Chakra to his left index finger and pushed down upon the ink, where after a small plume of smoke, an empty scroll appeared in his left hand.

He then turned to the corpse of the officer and promptly sealed it inside the scroll to essentially get rid of the evidence. After resealing the scroll into his tattoo, Naruto quickly created a Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone), which stood at attention upon being created.

"Transform yourself into the officer we just killed." He ordered his clone as he handed his Dustsabers to it. "Don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

"Got it, Boss!" The clone snapped off a salute before transforming itself into an exact likeness of the officer and taking the offered weapons.

Naruto then created another clone and eyed this one critically. "For all intents and purposes, you are now _me_." He told the clone. "You'll be taking my place in this farce. Clear?"

"Clear, Boss!" This clone also snapped off a salute.

"Good, now get going you two." With not another spoken word, the two clones went off to carry out their orders, leaving their Boss alone. "Now…" His right eye morphed into the Sharingan. "To get the real party started…" He then disappeared into a Kamui portal.

 **(With Ozpin and company: Half an hour later)**

"I'm gonna kill him…" Growled Qrow as the airship landed. "Bringing an entire _fleet_ with him?! What the hell?!"

"Calm yourself, Qrow." Ozpin tried to hide his own frustration after his outburst earlier. "I don't agree with this either, but it's not our place to question him.

"Shit's about to hit the fan…" Frost said as he stared out the window of the airship at the Atlesian fleet.

"So what if the tin man's here?" Mercury shrugged. "If anything, this is good for us. Jimmy's more liable to fuck up with his men within earshot."

"Worst comes to worst, the revolution starts here." Emerald agreed. "And we're ready for it. The rest of Remnant isn't."

"Alright, everyone!" Qrow began shouting. "Get behind Oz and I! We're ready to go!"

"I just hope Naruto knows what he's doing…" Frost admitted as he and Em joined Blake at the front of the pack, directly behind Ozpin and Qrow.

"Why am I even here?" Weiss protested. "I don't care what happens to the blonde ruffian! If anything, he probably deserves what's about to happen!"

"Objection noted, Princess." Yang groaned. "Now please, for everyone's sake, _shut up_."

Weiss would have protested further, but the doors of the airship slid open, revealing none other than James Ironwood flanked by her sister Winter and…

"Father…" she meekly greeted him.

"Ozpin." James nodded to his colleague. "Why is there a group of trainees behind you?"

"They insisted upon coming with us, James." Ozpin answered. "They're personal friends of Mr. Uzumaki and wished to be here to support him."

"Fair enough." James nodded once again in agreement, then noticed Weiss. "Miss Schnee, step forward."

"Y-Yes, General." Weiss did as ordered and snapped into an Atlesian salute.

"Your sister and father are here. Come greet them."

"We're taking up too much time here, James." Jon dismissed the notion. "We're here for Specter, nothing more."

"Jon, please." James protested. "At least acknowledge your daughter."

"Weiss understands what's going on here, James." Jon brushed a hand over his mustache as he eyed the General. "Do you?"

"… Yes, sir." James decided to drop the subject. "The others are waiting for us, Ozpin."

"After you." Ozpin gestured for James to take the lead.

"Your dad's a dick." Mercury whispered to Weiss as they began walking once again.

"Father's… very busy." Weiss weakly defended.

"He doesn't seem like the most agreeable person." Pyrrha agreed with Merc's rather vulgar summation of Jon Schnee.

"Weiss…" Winter called out to her as she fell behind James to catch up with her sister. "I'm sorry about Father."

"It's… alright, Winter." Weiss shook her head and faked a smile. "He's busy, I understand."

"No, he's not." Winter shook her head. "He's obsessed, now more than ever. He's running our family and company into the ground because of his drive for revenge. He wants Specter dead, even if that means sacrificing everything in the process… including me and you."

"Because Specter killed our Uncle!"

"Specter ordered the hit on our Uncle, but wasn't the one who pulled the trigger." Winter shook her head.

"And that absolves him of blame?!"

"Of course not!" She snapped. "Revenge can be a driving force up to a point. When it becomes an obsession, you suddenly have nothing left inside of you but hate and rage. You destroy yourself and everything around you when revenge becomes an obsession."

"Father knows what he's doing, I'm sure!" Weiss once again denied, shaking her head.

"… We'll speak more of this later." Winter said, then abruptly broke off and rejoined James and Jon at the front of the pack.

The rest of the walk was spent in tense silence, as no one there knew what to expect. Eventually, the group was led into a large circular room that had four raised platforms. Upon these four platforms were the four Councilors from all Four Kingdoms. The Vale Council sat in the middle left platform, the Atlesian Council to the far left platform to the right of the Vale Council, the Mistral Council sat upon the middle right platform to the Vale Council's left and the Vacuo Council sat upon the last platform on the far right to the Mistral Council's left.

Without uttering a word, Ozpin and Qrow walked up to the Vale Council's platform and stood directly beneath them, with James taking his place at the head of the Atlesian Council's table and Jon and Winter standing directly beneath his platform.

Beneath the Mistral Council's platform stood a woman who stood at 6'3", had long flowing red hair tied up into a ponytail and striking green eyes wearing a golden circlet atop her crown, a gold-tinted steel chestplate that covered most of her ample breasts and left her shoulders bare, matching steel gauntlets and greaves with a scaled armor skirt and brown leather fingerless gloves underneath her gauntlets. Across her back was slung a black and gold kite shield and on either of her hips sat two sheathed gold and red swords.

"M-Mother?!" Pyrrha called out to the woman.

"Pyrrha?" The woman looked over to the group of students in surprise. This was the famed Huntress Athena Nikos, mother of Pyrrha Nikos and newly inducted Headmaster of Haven Academy. "Pyrrha, what are you doing here?!"

"To support my friend, mother!" Pyrrha answered. "What are _you_ doing here?!"

"I was going to let you know eventually…" She lightly blushed. "I'm sorry!"

"And now we know where she gets it…" Frost muttered to Mercury and Yang, who snickered.

"Let me know what, mother?" Pyrrha asked, still confused.

"I'm the new Headmaster of Haven!"

"Athena!" Scolded one of the Mistral Councilors. "Enough!"

"I'm sorry, Councilor." Athena once again apologized.

Finally, underneath the Vacuo Council's platform stood a man who stood at 6'6", had wild dark brown hair, a matching goatee and a pair of small buffalo horns, identifying him as a Faunus. He was dressed what seemed like a set of white and gold monk robes torn open at the chest to show off his muscular build with black gloves covering his hands, black boots and armor segments over the shoulders of the robes. Strapped to his back was a strange staff that had a crescent-shaped object on one end and what looked like an ax head on the other. This was Sha Wujing, Headmaster of Shade Academy.

"All of the Councils are here, along with all four Headmasters…" Muttered Ren. "We're attending the Conclave…"

"You all!" Sha called out to them, his voice loud and thunderous. "Clear the way!"

Not wanting to cross the Headmaster of Shade, the group wisely moved off to the side as the doors they were previously standing in front of swung open to reveal the person they were in attendance to support. Flanked by two officers and the man in black was Naruto, who looked none worse for wear… or who they thought was Naruto. The Naruto clone and the officer clone cracked barely visible smirks upon not being called out as fakes as they entered the room and stood in the very center.

"You three may go now." One of the Vale Councilors said.

"Yes, Councilor." The man in black nodded and motioned for his two officers to follow him out.

"Naruto Uzumaki…" Another Vale Councilor glowered.

"Councilors." Naruto shot them a smirk. "Long time no see, eh? Last time we were together like this, I was attacked by Specter on my way out of the building… and yet here we are again, with you begging for my help once again…"

"Remember who you are speaking to, boy!" One of the Councilors from Mistral glowered. "Show your betters respect!"

"There's no respect to be given to those who don't deserve it!" Naruto shot back.

"We've called you here, Naruto, to talk about Specter." James mediated. "We all know that you've fought on multiple different occasions, including your most recent encounter where this Conclave ordered your execution... a mistake on our parts, admittedly."

"They… what?" Jaune whispered to the group. "They tried to have Naruto killed?"

"Naruto's fought Specter before?" Yang questioned in surprise.

"Blake…" Frost softly called her name after seeing her shake with rage. "Calm down."

"I can't believe it…" She continued shaking. "I run away from one corrupt life and into another… same shit, different day."

"What about this is corrupt?" Weiss asked. "Naruto must have crossed the Council in some form, so they wanted to tie up loose ends."

"Naruto was a mercenary before he joined the Fangs." Frost impatiently explained to the Ice Queen. "He mainly contracted himself out to this very Conclave. He fucks up just _one_ mission and they say 'Fuck it, let's kill the little bastard!'… if that's not bent and corrupt, I don't know what is."

"Then he might have found out a few things he shouldn't have known!"

"And what government's first option is an assassination attempt?" Frost fired back. "A broken one."

"And now you're sounding like one of those revolutionaries that are following Specter!" Weiss pointed an accusing finger at the Faunus.

"Miss Schnee!" Athena called out. "Quiet!"

"We need your help once again, Naruto." One of the Vacuo Councilors spoke. "Specter is very dangerous and we're reaching out to you because of your past with him."

"You know him." James reasoned. "You know how he fights, what his motives are. You could prove to be an invaluable asset to the coming conflict."

"It's true that I know him…" Naruto hummed. "And it's true that I could lend my knowledge to you all… but I want something in return."

"Anything." James once again spoke up.

"I want my record wiped clean, as well as Frost's and Blake's. Clean slates for all three of us and a promise to leave us alone afterwards."

' _Specter said that Naruto's in league with him…'_ Pyrrha began to zone out what was happening. _'If so, why is he making nice with the Conclave? Is he a genuine double agent, or is he...'_ As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she realized all too late what was going on.

"You know as well as I do, Naruto, that their promises mean nothing…" An all too familiar synthesized voice filled the air.

In strolled Specter, flanked by Cinder and Adam on his right and left respectively as they made their way to the center of the room and took a place beside Naruto.

"… So why are you even bothering?" Specter finished his sentence with a sideways look to the blonde.

"The fuck are you doing here?" Naruto growled.

"One of the officers I killed on my way in had your weapons." Specter held out the twin Dustsabers. "Use them on me if you feel you must."

"You came here for a reason…" Naruto took his weapons from Specter and hooked them upon his belt. "So go ahead, make another speech."

"You know me so well." The teasing tone in Specter's voice found its way through the synthesizer as he turned to the Conclave and Headmasters. "It is indeed a surprise to see the full Conclave here, including the Headmasters. Ozpin, my conversation with you must have shaken you up terribly so for you to take it straight to the top."

"Don't play coy." Ozpin scoffed. "You knew I'd go to the Council with what happened."

"And indeed you played off my gambit perfectly." Specter nodded. "Now another Conclave has been called and the Headmasters are all in attendance."

The early morning rays of sunshine began to break through the windows of the room as the implications of the statement began to take full effect. Sha withdrew his Monk's Spade, Athena her shield and her twin swords which she attached together and transformed into a spear, Ozpin readied his cane, Qrow brought out his scythe and James reached into his suit pocket for his pistol, Winter her saber and Jon the estoc he had sheathed at his waist… but no attack came.

"Still so very jumpy…" Specter chuckled. "I shan't attack any of you. This is a negotiation, and I will not be so vulgar as to violate the decorum of this event."

"Then why bring _him_ with you?!" Blurted Blake as she pointed to Adam. "He's a psychopath! A murderer! Just like _YOU!_ "

"Such little you know, my darling." Adam smirked viciously as he put a hand on Wilt. "Shall I have to reeducate you?"

"Adam." Naruto growled. "Back up. _NOW._ "

"Calm yourself, Mr. Taurus." Specter also stepped in. "As I said, we shall not initiate hostilities. We are negotiating, nothing more."

"… Of course." Adam said through his grit teeth as he let Wilt go.

"And you, Miss Belladonna…" Specter turned to the girl in question. "You are not a part of these negotiations. You are a guest, and as such, your voice is not needed. Kindly refrain from any further outbursts, if you please."

"Miss Belladonna, you may leave the room." Ozpin glared angrily at her. "Mr. Schwarz, Miss Sustrai, escort your teammate out."

"Nonsense, Professor." Specter turned his attention back to the bespectacled Headmaster. "We need witnesses for these negotiations, do we not?"

"Then please, continue." James removed his hand from his pocket. "If conflict can be avoided, then we're all ears."

"You already know my terms, Councilors." Specter stepped closer to the platforms. "The Academies need to be independent from the current system. The corruption needs to be curbed, the proxy wars, the spoils system, the elitism, the favoritism… all of it. It has to end."

"You…" Athena cleared her throat so she could speak. "You truly mean the Academies no harm, then?"

"None whatsoever, Miss Nikos." Specter shook his head negative. "As I told Ozpin, I wish for nothing other than the Academies to govern themselves separate from the Kingdoms. And for wanting better for my world, these fools brand me a traitor, along with Naruto here."

"What?" Sha questioned. "Is this true?"

"Very much so." Specter once again nodded. "Naruto knew about all of this even before I did, so if you wish to split hairs, _he_ is the real father of this revolution… I am just the only one who was willing to listen to him."

"James, is this true?!" Athena turned and looked up to Atlas's platform.

"… Unfortunately, yes." James slowly nodded as he made a temple with his hands under his chin. "Naruto found out some of our closely guarded secrets and he confronted us about it in good faith. The rest of this Conclave voted to have him killed, while I and a select few others voted against the motion. Specter was our chosen assassin and instead of carrying out his orders, he and Naruto talked, the secrets were revealed and Specter was turned against us."

"James, that's enough!" One of the Vale Councilors panicked.

"Keep talking, James." Specter urged the General. "It needs to be said."

"We were _wrong_." James admitted. "We shouldn't have done what we did to Naruto, it was unjust and unfair… that being said, what you're doing, Specter, is also unjust. The Kingdoms have been around for hundreds of years, we've had time to iron out the creases, so to speak. What we're doing or not doing is for the good of all Remnant."

"That's exactly what you told me just before you tried to have me killed!" Naruto yelled. "It's bullshit, and you all know it!"

"You're desperately clinging to a broken system that has been slowly dying for a long time now while turning your back on the new system that I'm offering freely." Specter also stepped in. "Revision sometimes needs to take place in order to come out with a better written novel. Such is the same with a dying government that's drawing its last breath."

"And so you assassinate my brother?!" Jon yelled, his grip on his estoc tightening. "You and your circus of animals dare to claim righteousness when innocent blood is on your hands?!"

"And you dare defend a murderer in front of me, Mr. Schnee?!" Specter raised his voice to the President of the SDC. "Your brother was as corrupt as they came! He had his hands in gambling, prostitution, drug deals, the black market trade of your own Company's Dust! He even dabbled in the infamous slave labor your Company was accused of! That accusation came directly from me and I proved it by exposing your brother for what he was: a monster. And he was a monster that I was happy to have had put down!"

"BASTARD!" Jon roared as he charged headlong at the man.

"Father!" Winter rushed after him.

"Jon! NO!" James tried to warn off the man.

"One more step…" Adam whispered to his most hated enemy as he held Wilt to his throat after flashing in front of him. "And you're breathing through a new hole."

"Schnee!" James called out to Winter. "Get your father out of here! He's no longer welcome in these chambers!"

"How dare you!" Jon was beside himself with rage. "The both of you! You dare turn your back on me, James?!" He continued to rant even as Winter dragged him out. "And you, Winter! You turn against your own blood?! You're a _fucking disgrace!_ Both you and Weiss!" His voice trailed off as he was dragged off out of the chambers and disappeared into the halls.

"Well… that was rather eventful." Cinder finally spoke.

"It was unfortunate, Miss Fall." Specter shook his head as Adam rejoined the group. "Such is what happens when revenge blinds you to everything else."

"F-Father…" Weiss choked back a sob, only to turn and hug Mercury when he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Huge dick." Mercury revised his statement from before as he shared a look with Yang.

"Personality wise, yeah." Yang agreed with a nod. "Otherwise? _Hell_ no."

"It seems negotiations have hit a bit of a hiccup." Specter linked his hands behind his back, his cloak fluttering lightly as he did so. "Shall I assume that they've fallen apart?"

"No!" James denied a bit too quickly. "We can still negotiate, now that we've gotten rid of the malcontent among us."

"I'm not sure if negotiations can resume." Specter shook his head. "You already deny the possibility of revising the government and letting the Academies go, which is tantamount to a refusal altogether. What am I to think when all of my attempts at compromise have been so thoroughly thwarted, let alone when I'm attacked during these negotiations?"

"There can still be peace!" James urged.

"There can be no peace, not with such a malignant system that has no right or business living past its time." Specter then turned to leave, followed closely by Cinder and Adam. "You may or may not hear from me again. It could be today, it could be a month from now… but know that I shall not reveal myself to you all again until I am ready. I bid you all adieu."

As the trio walked out, Pyrrha took it upon herself to chase them down, but as soon as she rounded the corner, they had all but disappeared without a trace.

"They're… gone." She spoke, wide eyed.

"Dammit…" James slammed a fist down onto the table, lightly cracking it. "We were so close… if only Jon hadn't have interfered…"

"Don't fool yourself, James." One of the Mistral Council spoke up. "There never was any negotiating with Specter and there never will be."

"More importantly… Naruto!" One of the Vale Council spoke.

"Yes, Councilors?" Naruto turned his attention back to the Conclave.

"We agree to your terms. Clean slates for you and your two friends and we'll forget all about what Specter said about you. We won't trouble you anymore come the resolution of the coming war."

"Even though I know this is out of desperation…" Naruto sighed. "I'll accept it as well. You have my blades come the war."

"Ozpin!" Another Vale Councilor called out to the Headmaster.

"Yes, sir?" Ozpin glanced up at the group of four men.

"We all know he's not a regular student. Give him an appropriate station, and know that he's under the Conclave's protection now. He and his two friends… make him a Captain."

"Captain?" Naruto asked.

"We'll explain it later, kid." Qrow managed a sigh as he shifted his weapon back into its storage mode.

"For now, my students and I shall return to Beacon, with your permission." Ozpin glanced up at the platform again, then turned to leave when he got a nod.

"Almighty God, that was stressful…" Naruto let out a sigh of relief as Blake ran up to him and tackled him into a hug.

"For a second there, I thought he was going to kill the lot of us…" She muttered into his ear as she hugged him, then went in for a kiss.

"Hold up!" Naruto held up his hands and chuckled nervously. "Gotta go take a leak…"

"Dammit, Naru…" Frost let out a genuine laugh.

As he left a very perturbed Blake behind, the clone ran off and slipped into another bathroom, smirking when a Kamui portal opened up, revealing the real Naruto, now dressed in his regular clothes.

"Good acting." He praised his clone.

"Thanks, Boss!" The clone beamed before being dispelled.

After waiting a few minutes in contemplative silence, Naruto decided enough time had passed and exited the bathroom, immediately noticing that Blake was waiting for him.

"Stalker, much?" He asked with a smirk.

"You denied me a kiss after everything that's happened this morning." Blake deadpanned as she grabbed her boyfriend by the collar of his shirt. "Don't think I'm going to let it happen a second time."

"Would never dream of it." He said as he quickly closed the distance between them in a searing kiss that ended a little too soon for Blake's liking. "Come on, everyone's waiting for us and Ozpin deserves an explanation about this whole 'Captain' business."

After a short walk to the exit, Naruto and Blake found everyone waiting for them, and all eyes were on the blonde of the pair.

"Explanation time?" Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously

 **(That night: Vale docks: Warehouse: Midnight)**

"The hell is that red armband on your right arm, kid?" Roman questioned as he stared at said object.

"Turns out, if a student does well enough and proves themselves capable, they're named Captain of their year." Naruto shrugged. "Which means I guess I'm in charge of my entire first year class."

"Like an officer, basically." Emerald also shrugged as she reclined back in one of the chairs surrounding the table.

"Old man wouldn't have done it without the Conclave ordering him to, I bet." Mercury chimed in as he was working on his prosthetics.

"If anyone deserves it, it's Naru." Frost added. "I mean, granted, he's freaking _Specter_ , but they don't know that!"

"And how are you three here without the cat getting suspicious?" Another thought crossed Roman's mind as he gestured to Naruto, Frost and Emerald.

"My clones are very versatile, Roman." Naruto smirked.

" _Very_." Cinder added with a sensual smirk as she shifted in her chair.

"Agreed." Neo nodded her head as she snuggled into Naruto's lap.

"We had the entire Conclave shaking in their boots." Adam declared victoriously as he walked in and removed his mask, revealing blood red eyed that matched his hair. "Today was a victory in my book."

"My words shook the other two Headmasters." Naruto nodded. "I suspect that Athena will soon join us, just like her daughter."

"Just like…?" Roman asked.

"Pyrrha's on her way here now." Naruto casually mentioned. "She came to me just after Ozpin made me First Year Captain and confronted me about everything and I confirmed it all, even told her to come here."

"Which means Em, Merc and I should make ourselves scarce." Frost made to get up, but Naruto gestured for him to stop.

"No." He held up his right hand. "The more of her friends she sees involved with us the better. Paints a prettier picture for her."

"Though you might want to hurry up and change…" Emerald warned her boss and friend.

After waving her concern off, Naruto rolled up his sleeve once again and formed the Half-Ram handseal with his left hand, instantly replacing his regular clothes with his Specter getup.

"I'm magic." The way that statement sounded in Specter's synthesized voice only served to send Frost cracking up with laughter, followed by Mercury and Roman

Soon, their laughter subsided when Naruto stood up, replacing Neo into his chair, and took on his standard 'Specter' posed, with his arms linked behind his back as the door to the front room opened, followed by two of the front room guards showing their guest in.

"Miss Nikos." Specter greeted her with a polite nod of the head. "Welcome to my humble abode."

"Frost?" Pyrrha's eyes glanced over the people in the room. "Emerald? Mercury?"

"Surprised to see them?" Specter asked.

"We've been a part of the revolution for a long time, Pyrrha." Frost spoke up. "That's how Naruto and I met Merc and Em."

"It's a good cause, Pyrrha." Emerald took her turn. "You saw today how backwards the Conclave was, you saw how that Schnee bastard was ready to kill Specter here. That's the kind of hatred that the system has bred."

"My own old man was an assassin for the Conclave." Mercury admitted. "When he tried to get me into the family business, I fought him. Ended up with these…" He motioned to his legs. "And orphaned myself in the process."

"All true, Miss Nikos…" Cinder's silky smooth voice sent a shiver up Pyrrha's spine as she approached. "Specter and I found them both in need of help when the Kingdoms would give them none. Emerald, until we picked her up, was a common thief living off scraps and whatever precious items she could sell to her local fence. We gave them a life where the Kingdoms would have let them die." Her amber eyes glowed with mischief as she stopped in front of the girl and ran her right hand through her ponytail. "We can save you as well…"

"S-Save me?" Pyrrha managed to say. "From what?"

"We've already had this discussion, Miss Nikos." Specter stepped in this time. "You've come here because deep down, you know we're right, no? You've come here because you know we're Remnant's last true hope at a bright future."

"And you could be one of our stars." Cinder pushed once again as she stopped playing with the girl's ponytail and brushed a delicate hand over her cheek as she withdrew it. "You could make a bigger difference here than any one of us, including Specter himself."

"I…" Pyrrha gulped at the woman's actions, trying desperately to get rid of her blush. "I want to join the revolution… if you'll have me. I want to see this world into a new golden age."

"And you will at that, Pyrrha." Specter nodded as he unlinked his hands from behind his back and placed them upon the girl's shoulders. "Welcome to the family."

' _This is it, Pyrrha…'_ She mused to herself. _'Point of no return…'_

A strange sensation then filled her chest. It felt like someone… poking? Looking down, her face turned as red as her hair when she saw Neo frowning while poking her boobs.

"Can I… help you?" Pyrrha asked after a hesitation.

Neo then frowned deeper and grabbed her own breasts. After squeezing a couple of times, she blinked her eyes and they changed from pink and brown to totally pink… just as she grabbed Pyrrha's boobs outright and gave them a couple of experimental squeezes.

"W-WHAT?!" Was all the redhead could get out under the short girl's menstruations, not that Neo cared.

"Bigger." Neo's frown deepened once again. "Yours bigger…"

"Welcome to the family indeed…" Mercury shrugged just as Frost and Roman broke out into laughter once again.

It seemed like Pyrrha had just experienced Neo's welcome ceremony and passed… or failed? They couldn't be sure.

It was still funny as hell.

 **AN: Neo's seal of approval goes to Pyrrha! Or does it? I'm not quite sure myself. So, how did you guys like this one? Again, I'm sorry this one was mostly dialogue, but, like last chapter, it had to be done. Special attention goes to one of the OC's in this chapter, Sha Wujing, who is a reference to his namesake in Journey to the West. I figured since Sun Wukong is referenced through the Sun we all know, why not one of the other characters?**

 **Now, onto the more pressing issue: Pyrrha. You guys have convinced me. She's going to be added in, so now the question becomes this: One more girl, or stop at four? If there were to be a fifth girl, note that she will be the final girl in the harem, so if there were to be a fifth and final girl, who should it be? My gut's telling me Emerald right now, but if you guys give me good and solid reasons for another girl, I'll consider it. Opinions are much appreciated!**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Here's the next update, ladies and gents! Again, I have to reiterate that this one is probably my favorite story to write so far, but I digress. Be forewarned for this one: Shit hits the fan, as this chapter contains the first major confrontation between Naruto and Ozpin/Beacon, so prepare for some action and a bit of blood. ONWARDS!**

 **Chapter 8: Quoth the Raven…**

"… And in other news, the fugitive known as Specter is still at large." The voice and image of Lisa Lavender came out of the TV they were passing. "Citizens are advised to report any suspicious activity and remain vigilant."

"It's been two weeks since the Conclave meeting." Jaune spoke up in an effort to drown out the news broadcast. "You think Specter's gone into hiding?"

"Doubtful." Blake shook her head as she glanced up from the book she was reading. "You heard what Specter said. We won't know when he's going to pop up next."

"Which is why we need to keep our guards up." Naruto finally advised his friends.

Teams NBSE, RWBY and JNPR had all agreed to spend a day on the town to try and forget the craziness that had befallen them ever since the Conclave meeting. And what better way than to belatedly celebrate Naruto's appointment as First Year Captain?

"We all have our parts to play in what's to come." Pyrrha nodded at Naruto's words after they shared a knowing look with each other. "But that doesn't mean we should forget to take it easy every now and then." She managed a smile.

"Sooo…" Frost interjected. "Why are we going to the docks if we're celebrating? Surely we could go back to Junior's place instead?"

"I hear the sea air's good for the soul, Frost." Mercury smirked. "Maybe you'll actually grow one if you go for a walk down the pier…"

"… And right over the edge." Emerald finished with the same smirk Merc had.

"You're terrible." Weiss, of all people, giggled at Merc's joke, something that halted the entire group of twelve in their tracks to stare in bewilderment at the girl. "… What? I can't enjoy the day with you all?"

In the last two weeks, it was like something had been flipped in Weiss. Shortly after Winter had taken their Father back to Atlas, he officially disowned them both and sent an official letter to Weiss stating that she was no longer recognized as the heir to the SDC nor was she his daughter. It was strongly worded, but official nonetheless, and after Weiss got over the initial shock of being disowned, she began to do a complete 180 in terms of her personality. She was now more approachable, she still slightly distrusted the Faunus, but no longer openly degraded them and was overall mellowing out… though Naruto knew exactly why, and it wasn't because of the disownment.

Winter had reached out to Specter in desperation, asking for definite proof of their Uncle's misdeeds. Naruto was all too happy to divulge what he knew, and once Winter had gone over the entirety of the records, she forwarded them to Weiss. The youngest Schnee now knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that her family was a nest of vipers. It took a little while, but she eventually decided for herself to cut ties with her Father shortly before the disownment, which did nothing but solidify her faith in her decision.

All in all, she was now a joy to be around and she actually joined in on the jokes every now and then. The Ice Queen had finally melted.

"It's just weird to see you smiling…" Naruto chuckled. "And _joking_ on top of it all!"

"S-Shut up!" Weiss blushed and seemed to shrink into herself when Naruto's mismatched eyes fell on her. "I can be nice when I want to!"

"Then be _nice_ somewhere else…" Blake narrowed her eyes at the ex-heiress while peeking over the edge of her book and unconsciously snuggling herself into Naruto's side.

That… was another side effect of what had happened. After Weiss broke out of her shell, Naruto noticed her looking his way every now and then, most of the time blushing and other times genuinely curious. He was no fool, he knew the telltale signs of infatuation when he saw them… and so did Blake. What he found hilariously ironic was the fact that not even a month ago, she had hurled every racist insult in the book at him, yet now here she was giddy as a schoolgirl to be around him. Truly, he was both put off and interested at the same time to see where this led.

All Weiss did was huff once again while pretending to turn her nose up at the cat Faunus, her still present smile belying her intent.

"… You still haven't said why we're at the docks." Frost frowned as he furrowed his brows. "Gonna spill the beans or not, 'cuz I'm about this close…" He gestured with two of his fingers. "To ditching you all for Junior's club."

"I know for a fact Jaune wants to go back." Emerald continued her train of teasing. "He got _real_ friendly with one of the Malachite Twins last time he was there."

"Now, _THIS_ I have to hear!" Naruto guffawed as he turned his attention to his teammate.

Much to Jaune's delight, a commotion was soon heard as a voice rang out for them to 'stop that Faunus'. As the group collectively turned to see what was happening, they saw two dockworkers chasing down a blonde-haired monkey Faunus as he hopped off of the boat and began to hang from an overarching streetlight by his tail while munching on a banana.

"You no-good stowaway!" One of them yelled out.

"Hey!" The Faunus yelled back indignantly. "A 'no-good' stowaway would have been caught!" He paused for another bite of his banana. "I'm a _great_ stowaway!"

"He didn't deny it." Ren pointed out.

"Oh, this is rich." Frost chuckled as he resigned himself to look on at the spectacle.

As the Faunus happily ate his banana, he had to pause yet again to lean his head out of the way of a rock being tossed at it by one of a pair of VCPD Detectives strolling up.

"Hey!" The first one began. "Get down from there this instant!"

Soon enough, the Detective received a banana peel to the face for his trouble. As the Faunus began giggling madly at his stunt, he flipped himself onto the streetlight proper before hopping off and booking it once again, this time in the direction of the three teams who were still watching him. As he passed the twelve individuals, time seemed to slow for three people in particular: The Faunus himself as he winked at Blake while passing her, Blake as she frowned and narrowed her eyes at the would-be suitor and Naruto as he scowled at the monkey who was trying to hit on his girlfriend.

As time began to flow normally once again, the blonde monkey felt a strong hand on one of his shoulders that he wasn't expecting… then felt his legs being swept out from under him as he was sent careening backwards onto the pavement thanks to a takedown Naruto had issued him. After shaking the stars out of his vision, the Faunus growled and would have gotten up to retaliate had Frost not also stepped in and planted a foot square on his chest, pinning him to the ground.

"Word of advice, friend…" Frost smirked wickedly. "If you're gonna hit on a girl, check to see if she's single, because this beauty beside me is taken already."

"You the guy, then?" The Faunus finally spoke.

"In his dreams, maybe." Blake lightly scoffed as she took Naruto's hand into hers and interlocked their fingers.

"First Year Captain Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto introduced himself, knowing that their guest was about to ask.

"… Shit." The Faunus groaned as he pushed Frost's foot off and swiftly stood. "First day in Vale and I'm already on the bad side of Beacon's First Year Captain."

"Also the law." Pyrrha pointed out as the two Detectives from before arrived on scene.

"Settle down." Naruto quickly stepped in while flashing his armband. "Hunter business, we have this under control."

"He's a stowaway!" The first detective spoke out in protest.

"And he's also here for the Vytal Festival." Naruto directed a light glare at the protesting detective. "Surely you don't want a participant to be denied access because of something like this? As long as he has his paperwork, does it matter how he got here?"

"Indeed it does!" The second one snapped. "He has to go through emigration like everyone else!"

"My paperwork's legit, though!" The Faunus fished around in his jeans until he brought out said paperwork and handed it to the detectives.

"Sun Wukong, Leader of Team SSSN from Haven Academy." One of the detectives began reading off the paperwork. "Reason for visiting: Vytal Festival Tournament, signed and authorized by Athena Nikos, Headmaster of Haven…" He then sighed in defeat. "Legit, through and through."

"That's right!" The now identified Sun fist pumped with a triumphant smirk. "Score one for me!"

"I'll be sure to write a letter of recommendation to your superiors for your… exemplary service." Naruto remarked with a sarcastic smile as he turned to walk away, his group plus Sun following suit. "Truly, you two deserve a promotion."

"Damn!" The first detective kicked at a random pebble as the group began walking off.

"Thanks for the save." Sun rounded upon Naruto as they walked. "And sorry for the whole hitting-on-your-girlfriend thing."

"You didn't know." Naruto waived him off. "And I'd have probably done the same thing in your position." He stopped to smirk at Blake. "She's too good to just ignore."

"Shut up." She blushed behind her book that she had just began reading again.

"You two are just too CUTE!" Nora gushed at the interaction with a light squeal.

"Real cute…" Emerald offhandedly commented as she glanced around at anything that wasn't the Faunus couple.

"Yeah…" Yang lightly huffed while tearing her gaze away from the blonde of the couple.

"Sound like someone's jealous…" Mercury knowingly commented, then found himself leaning out of the way of a pair of punched being hurled his way from both Yang and Emerald. "Yup." He nodded after straightening himself out. "Jealous."

"Up yours, Merc!" Yang snarled.

"Fuck you!" Emerald followed suit.

"Dude…" Sun chuckled. "Does this happen very often?"

" _ALL_ the time…" Naruto groaned with a facepalm.

"You're living every guy's dream right now!"

"Every guy's dream is my nightmare…" He once again groaned, but for a different reason as Blake had sidled up into him in a protective manner, unknowingly grinding herself into his pelvis as she did do. Either she wasn't aware what she was doing or she didn't care… but the very red blush on her cheeks behind her book most likely meant that she was aware.

' _She's getting bolder every day…'_ Frost mused to himself as he pretended to ignore what was happening beside him. _'I wonder if Naru notices this? Pretty soon, things HAVE to come to a head, I can practically feel the tension between them…'_

As Naruto opened his mouth to weakly protest Blake's actions, a light buzzing sound filed the air, prompting Teams NBSE, RWBY and JNPR to check their Scrolls at the same time to find a message sent to them from Gynda:

" _All First Year Teams are to report to the Arena within the hour, a special sparring session will be taking place."_ Was what the message read.

"Special sparring session?" Jaune questioned. "What's up with that?"

"Specter has everyone on edge, it seems." Ren reasoned.

"Making sure we're up to snuff, eh?" Naruto smirked. "I'm game for a little tournament, why not?"

"I gotta go and catch the rest of my team anyhow." Sun shrugged. "See you all some other time?"

"Count on it." Frost nodded, then gingerly grabbed at his stomach. "Shit, what the hell is up with me now?"

"Frost?" Naruto questioned.

"I think I'm gonna hurl." He faked a dry heave. "Must have been our lunch today…"

"Why don't you all go ahead without us?" Pyrrha asked the group, picking up on the subtle hints. Naruto and I will stay behind with Frost, make sure he's alright."

"Sure." Mercury nodded, also picking up on the hint. "Let's hightail it back to Beacon, everyone. Best not be late."

"Will Frost be OK?" Ruby questioned.

"He'll be fine." Emerald reassured the young Rose as they all began marching off. "He's one tough cookie."

"… What's the plan?" Pyrrha asked once their group was out of earshot.

"Naru?" Frost diverted the question to his friend.

"I think our mutual friend would like to be involved with this little mock tournament." Naruto explained in a hushed voice. "Someone's here that can and will disrupt our plans and he has no idea she's here."

"Who's this 'she'?" Pyrrha asked.

"A very dangerous woman by the name of Raven Branwen." He continued. "She's fought Specter before and seems to have some kind of vendetta against him. It took me some time to put together the little hints here and there, but I was able to find out that she is, indeed, here."

"And depending on what Specter does when he gets here, we may or may not have to witness a murder." Frost added.

"Is this woman truly so dangerous?" Pyrrha asked, mentally reminding herself that she chose to join the Revolution and that she would see it through to the end.

"If at all possible, Specter would like for her to be turned." Naruto admitted. "But if push comes to shove, he wants her permanently eliminated."

"So, is he going to show up personally?" She questioned.

"I can't definitively answer that." He shrugged. "Only Specter can decide that for himself. I'm just his eyes and ears."

"And his voice." The redhead pointed out. "Whenever Specter isn't here, you're effectively in charge of this little infiltration group we have going on."

"She's got you there, Naru." Frost chuckled.

"At any rate…" Naruto sighed, but still conceded the point. "I'll get in touch with him on the way back to Beacon. What he does with this information is up to him."

 **(Beacon: Around an hour later)**

"This is a dangerous game we're playing here, Oz." Qrow admitted after a sip from his flask.

"A necessary one, however." Raven slightly admonished her twin with a light glare. "Since when have you gone soft, brother?"

"And since when did you become an insufferable bitch?" Qrow fired back, red eyes locking with their fellow red. "Seriously, you need to get laid again."

"That's enough, Qrow." Ozpin stepped in before anymore sibling drama could unfold. "Specter is bound to have heard of this mock tournament, and with the Vytal Festival right around the corner, he's sure to be sizing up his competition."

"You _really_ think he's stupid enough to attack during the Festival?" Qrow questioned. "He's ballsy, I'll give him that, but he's nowhere near the dumbass you think he is."

"He enjoys a challenge." Ozpin continued. "And what grander challenge could be presented than the Festival, where security will be at an all-time high, with all of Remnant watching?"

"I'm not so sure." He shrugged. "But, that's why I'm not in charge. Lead the way." He then gestured for the Headmaster to lead them into the Arena.

"You feeling better, Frost?" Ruby asked.

"Much better, Red." Frost flashed her a smirk. "It was just a momentary thing, no biggie."

"T-That's good…" She blushed at the smirk he was giving her.

"Who's that woman walking out with Ozpin?" Jaune asked while pointing to the woman in question.

"Beats me." Naruto faked a shrug. "Kinda gives off a creepy vibe because of that bone mask, though."

"No kidding." Yang lightly scoffed. "Think she's in league with Specter?"

"Because they both wear masks, Yang?" Mercury deadpanned. "Really?"

"Hey, you never know."

"Because of the recent threats from the terrorist known as Specter…" Ozpin began, his voice echoing throughout the Arena. "And because of the imminent arrival of the Vytal Festival, I have called for a special session of sparring tonight, in order to better hone your skills against your fellow Hunters and beyond."

"Everyone here can be challenged." Qrow spoke up next. "And that includes your professors, me, and even Ozpin here." He paused to chuckle. "Though I wouldn't recommend challenging him unless you have a death wish."

"So, who will start us off tonight?" Ozpin questioned as his gaze fell onto the crowd of First Years.

"If I may, Professor?" Naruto spoke up as he stood from his spot in the stands.

"Of course, Captain Uzumaki." Ozpin nodded and gestured for the young man to take the floor.

"I know what you're all thinking." Naruto began after hopping down to the floor of the stadium. "Ah, shit, it's him again! The special case who's Ozpin's favorite! Get outta here!" He poorly mimicked a stereotypical student voice, garnering a few chuckles from his First Years. "Say what you will about me, Professor Ozpin is right. We need to be in top shape if we want to compete in the Tournament, or worse, if that asshole Specter ruins our day."

"Language, Mr. Uzumaki!" Glynda sharply admonished the blonde.

"Sorry, Professor." Naruto let out a chuckle. "But the fact still stands: We need to give our all tonight, agreed?" A rather hushed murmur of approval spread throughout the crowd. "Now, to start things off, I'll volunteer myself for the first round." He then stepped into the very center of the arena. "Who wants to take their shot at me?" Not a soul raised their hand or stepped up to the challenge.

"Nobody?" Naruto questioned after another full glance to the crowd. "Well, ain't that a kick in the pants?" He sighed in fake bitterness, then as a figurative lightbulb went off above his head, he rounded upon Ozpin, Qrow and Raven. "What about you, newcomer?" He pointed to the latter ravenette.

"You gotta be kidding me, kid…" Qrow stifled a full laugh. "You do _not_ want to challenge her."

"You said anyone here could be challenged, did you not?" Naruto questioned.

"Indeed you did, Qrow." Raven lightly teased her brother as she stepped up. "Fine. If a swift beating is what you want, I'll give you one."

"I'm not Captain of my year for nothing, miss…?"

"Raven." Raven introduced herself with a nod of her head.

"Well, Miss Raven, it's impolite to accept a challenge while wearing a mask."

"It's for my protection, I hope you understand." She settled into an Iaido stance.

"Indeed I do." Naruto smirked as he let his hands rest at his sides, hovering over his Dustsabers. "Ladies first."

"Indeed, Raven." A familiar synthetic voice instantly had the entire arena on edge when from one of the entrances strolled in Specter at a casual walk, his cloak fluttering slightly with his movements and the fluorescent lights of the arena reflecting brilliantly off of his mask. "Ladies are indeed first."

"Rae!" Qrow called out to his sister, panicked. "DON'T!"

"SPECTER!" Raven howled out his name in fury as she charged at the masked man in a headlong rush

In response, Specter pushed "Naruto" out of the way and reached down to his belt, grasping the Dustsaber slotted there, pulled it free of its magnetic slot and activated the blade with a snap-hiss, parrying her now drawn Odachi upwards with a vibrant purple colored blade while striking forward with his right foot in a straight kick as he locked her blade in an upwards stance with his own, striking her in the gut and doubling her over. As she doubled over on herself, Specter sent her Odachi flying in a random direction, then brought the tip of his purple blade to her throat.

"What happened to all that skill, Raven?" Specter taunted through his synthesizer. "You gave me an actual challenge our last encounter."

"I'm just getting warmed up!" Her red eyes glowed furiously as she opened up a portal behind herself and fell backwards into it, reappearing next to her sword.

As she scooped the blade into her hands, she disappeared into another portal, then reappeared dropping out of another right above Specter, who raised his blade up and blocked the downwards slash, then parried her retaliatory upwards slash once she landed from the fall and blocked her next two back-to-back slashes and sidestepped a straight lunge which she had overextended. He would have made her pay for her overextension had she not tucked and rolled right back into a waiting portal, reappearing next to a now charging Qrow.

"He's mine!" She snarled at her brother while brandishing her odachi.

"We can beat him if we work together!" Qrow fired back just as fiercely.

"NO!" She raged once again, ridding herself of her mask so she could breathe properly. "He's mine and mine alone to kill!"

"M-Mom…?" Yang muttered in shock after the woman shed her mask.

"Naruto, step to the side." Specter warned his "enemy".

"Why should I?" 'Naruto' questioned.

"Because if you don't, you won't live to reap the benefits of siding with our enemy."

Wisely, Naruto, or rather, his clone, backed off and retreated to the edges of the arena as Qrow stepped away as well, albeit reluctantly. The stands were deathly quiet, as the first years were too scared to even breathe, the only noise being the hum of Specter's purple Dustsaber and the now apparent artificial breathing that was his mask's built-in respirator.

"Come, Raven Branwen." Specter saluted her with his blade. "Let us end this." And with a spinning flourish, the blade was back down at his side, tip pointed at the floor lazily.

With a rage-filled war cry, Raven once again charged at her opponent and what followed was a duel of epic proportions. Every swing that Raven threw at him was matched in kind, every subtle movement, every minute change to her fighting style, was countered perfectly. While they both had taken chunks out of each other's Aura, Raven knew that she was on the losing end of this confrontation once again.

"She's better than I gave her credit." Admitted one Adam Taurus as he watched the duel from a shadowed corner, sparing a fleeting glimpse at Cinder, who stood beside him.

"There's a reason Naruto wants her either converted or dead." Cinder nodded. "Though considering how this duel is going… he's going to kill her." She then grasped her stomach gently while wincing.

"Everything alright?" Adam asked, this time his gaze lingering for a bit.

"I'll be fine, just a bit of nausea." Cinder brushed him off, returning her attention to the fight.

Parry, block, parry, sidestep, block, sidestep. It was a dance that Specter was all too familiar with and it was a dance that he quite thoroughly enjoyed, especially against his current opponent. As he blocked another horizontal slash, he quickly parried upwards and opened her up for a slash at her Aura that took one last chunk. Smirking underneath his mask, Specter knew she was low on Aura now, so he decided that now was the time.

"Join me, Raven." Specter called out to her as she backpedaled away. "We need not fight anymore; you can join me and help bring a new golden age to Remnant."

"And live the rest of my life with innocent blood on my hands?!" Raven fired back. "No fucking way!"

"… So be it." The tone in which Specter uttered those three words were grimly conveyed, as his synthesizer took on a darker, more dangerous tone as he readied his purple blade once again.

This was it. Her last attempt. As she ran forwards, Raven anticipated a retaliatory slash. And when her prediction came true, she smirked and disappeared into a portal just as the blade was about to reach her. Lowering his blade back to his side, Specter waited for a sparse few seconds before unveiling the second trick of his Dustsaber. Shifting it slightly in his hand, he pressed a button near the 'pommel' of the saber and ignited a second purple blade just as Raven appeared out of her portal.

Hot. Searing white hot is what she felt skewer through her abdomen. As she spared a look down, she saw that she was impaled on the second blade of Specter's saber, completely stunned that his weapon was of the double-bladed variety… and that's when the second wave of pain hit her. As she choked on the air she was now gasping in, Specter deactivated his second blade and rounded upon her slowly.

"I said we'd end this, Raven." Specter spoke as he took up a position behind her, blade clutched into both hands. "One way or another, this had to end… you really should have taken my offer."

"MOM!" Yang desperately called out to her mother, barely being held back by both Frost and Mercury.

"Yang, no!" Merc managed to say. "He'll kill you!"

"I DON'T CARE!" She wailed as she elbowed the boy in the face, but was stopped once again by Frost.

"STOP IT, YANG!" Frost screamed out in an effort to bring her back to her senses.

"MOOOOM!" Yang called out to Raven again, this time more desperate than the last and with tears streaming shamelessly down her face.

"Y-Yang…" Raven found her albeit hoarse voice as she glanced up into the stands at her daughter while clutching the burned out hole in her abdomen. "F-Forgive me… please…"

"Dust preserve you, Raven Branwen." Specter solemnly said as he slowly raised his blade.

The sound of the Dustsaber cutting through the air filled the entire arena, followed by a soft hissing sound as it made its way through Raven's neck. Seconds passed before time caught up with her and she toppled forward, her head rolling clean off its shoulders and forward a few feet before it came to a halt face up, staring blankly into the eyes of Yang.

"M-Mom… no…" Yang all but sobbed out as she froze in place and collapsed to her knees, her eyes never leaving the now dead red eyes of her decapitated mother.

"RAVEN! NOOOO!" Qrow shot forward, his scythe at the ready.

Quickly turning, Specter pointed his left hand at the only remaining Branwen. Lightning began arcing from his fingers until it shot forward out of his glove and at the charging form of Qrow, who immediately sidestepped it. Unbeknownst to him, Adam was waiting right behind him and withdrew wilt about halfway from its sheathe and began absorbing the Lightning Dust until both his blade and clothes began glowing a very bright red.

"Adam!" Blake called out to him in vain. "Adam, no! STOP IT!"

Hearing Blake's cries, Qrow turned around just in time to see a flash of red. Again, everything fell silent as Qrow stood there for a solid second or two, stunned, until the top half of his body separated from the bottom half in a clean cut accentuated by a dull red glow, as his Aura was trying desperately to heal the irreparable damage. With a gurgle, Qrow spit up an amount of blood and took one last hateful glance at Specter before he succumbed to the inevitable and died with a face contorted by hatred.

As opposed to the silently broken Yang, Ruby let out a bone-chilling anguished cry as a white aura shot out of her eyes in a pseudo-wing pattern. With never before seen _rage_ burning in her now glowing silver eyes, she hopped down into the arena, Crescent Rose brandished, and used her Semblance to instantly appear right behind Adam, who merely stood there unfazed.

Another burst of lightning from Specter disarmed the fuming Ruby, who continued her attack against Adam, who unceremoniously threw her right into the waiting arms of Specter.

"So, you're the silver eyed girl I've heard so much about." Specter mused, ignoring the protesting gunshots and impacts against the Fuinjutsu barrier he had set up beforehand. "What an interesting specimen you are."

"What's to be done with her?" Adam questioned just as Cinder arrived late on scene.

"We take her, of course." Specter smirked in victory underneath his mask as he delivered a swift chop to Ruby's neck which rendered her unconscious and dispelled her eye powers, then sucked her into one of his Kamui portals for safe transport.

"Consider this but a taste of what I can do, Professor." Specter then regarded an absolutely livid Ozpin. "The Kingdoms are very welcome to declare war against me now… but good luck finding me."

"I _will_ find you, Specter." Ozpin all but snarled. "And when I do, you will regret all of the pain and death you've caused this day."

"Tend to your people, Professor." Specter advised as Adam and Cinder took up positions beside him. "You never know when I shall show up again to haunt you. Be vigilant, my friend… for it wouldn't be a challenge if you just gave up when our game is just beginning…"

With those parting words, Specter, Adam and Cinder disappeared into another Kamui vortex. At their departure, the Fuinjutsu barrier fell and the Hunters and police all filed in, most securing the area while some regarded the bodies of the Branwen siblings.

"This can't be happening…" Jaune began to panic. "H-He… he just…"

"Ruthless efficiency…" Pyrrha sadly nodded, reminding herself once again that she willingly took on the life of a revolutionary.

"He really _is_ a psychopath…" Blake muttered as she desperately clung to the form of Naruto's clone, shaking slightly.

"And he took Ruby." Naruto's clone growled. "Son of a bitch."

"Yang…" Frost regarded the blonde brawler, who was still collapsed on her knees but was now desperately hugging herself and was unresponsive to his calls and shakes.

"This Academy is on lockdown for the foreseeable future." Ozpin's powerful voice rang out. "Everyone return to your dorms, at once!"

After glancing at Blake, who nodded, Naruto's clone went and helped Yang up.

"Come on, Yang." He softly whispered to her. "Let's get you back to your dorm."

She didn't even react to him standing her up, nor the sound of his voice. All she did was stare forward, a dead look in her eyes, as he led her back to Team RWBY's dorm.

On the way back, the clone had dispelled itself once Naruto himself arrived back on scene and he immediately made for his team's dorm. Once there, he opened the door to find Blake curled up on her bed in her yukata, knees brought up to her chest and she was hugging them. Sighing wearily as he shrugged his duster off, then his boots until he stripped down and changed into his leisurewear, he crawled into bed beside his girlfriend and wrapped an arm around her to which she immediately accepted.

"Where are Frost and Em?" He questioned.

"Getting some air." She quietly murmured. "I just… I couldn't leave this room…"

"I understand." He soothingly rubbed her back.

"Seeing how Adam operated again…" She began shuddering as some rather unsavory memories began flooding back.

In response, Naruto fell backwards until his head hit her pillow, with her still in his arms. Whether it was for warmth or protection Naruto didn't know, but Blake placed a hand on his chest and wormed herself deeper into his embrace with her head buried into the crook of his neck.

"I could have ended up like him." She admitted with a shaky voice that was still just above a whisper. " _YOU_ could have ended up like him…" She clutched at him desperately once again, as if she were trying to hold onto reality itself.

"I'm not like him, Blake." Naruto shook his head lightly. "I never will be… I'd never hurt you like he did."

"I love you." She finally sobbed out into his neck. "I love you so much, Naruto…"

"And I love you, Blake." He smiled sadly as he gently ran his fingers through her long black hair. "And that's why I fight, that's why I get up in the mornings… you keep me going, you keep me grounded."

"Just…" Again, she clutched at him. "Hold me. Please."

"Now and forever." He nodded once again and brought the covers up and around them. "I'm never… _never_ letting go of you." He whispered to her as he planted a kiss upon her crown.

As he just laid there, waiting for her to fall asleep, he had a million thoughts running through his head, the least of which was that he had just murdered Qrow and Raven, then kidnapped Ruby. As he planned out what his next move was, the words he had just told Blake began ringing in his ears.

He knew full well that he was lying to her. He knew that he was no better than Adam, yet he felt it was necessary for his end goals. Indeed, obstacles had to be removed for the ends to be justified, but the one thing he feared above all else was falling too far into his own charade.

Specter was a mask that he wore, a persona that he adopted to give a face to all things wrong with Remnant. He knew that Specter had no boundaries, no rules and no qualms about doing what was necessary. In truth, Specter was a representation of what he himself had become after his ROOT indoctrination, and it scared him to think that he was becoming the mask.

Unconsciously he clutched Blake tighter as his thoughts then shifted to her. Without a shadow of a doubt, he knew that he loved her. Cinder and Neo both held special places in his heart, but Blake… not since Sakura had he felt such a strong attachment, and that's what scared him the most. He took a risk and married Sakura, only for her to end up dead at Sasuke's hands. If he had to choose a moment that was the start of it all, it was her death. It was still a fresh wound that he wasn't sure would close, yet here he was pouring his heart out for another girl… and he didn't want her to get hurt.

Truly, it hurt him to have to lie to her, but again, he deemed it necessary. The more he tumbled down this particular rabbit hole, the more it led him to a place that he didn't want to go, so he shook such thoughts off and closed his eyes finally, the rhythmic sound of Blake's breathing eventually lulling him into sleep.

Soon enough, dawn had rolled around and he woke to the sight of the raven-haired beauty beside him sleeping with her head on his shoulder, her hand resting on his chest and one of her legs entwined with one of his and her long black locks fanned out around her. A cute snore escaped her as she was still very much asleep.

Smiling at the sight beside him, Naruto soon frowned when his Scroll buzzed. After opening it and reading its contents, he sighed and gently pried himself loose from his girlfriend's grip, redressed himself in his usual attire, left a note in case either she woke up or Frost and Em returned, then exited the room, intent on making it to Vale City.

After a rather long airship ride, Naruto made it to the warehouse hideout and was admitted in by the front guards. As soon as he entered the main room, he noticed that it was empty, so he walked into the back room where the bunks were, where he found the sender of the message. Cinder sat upon one of the beds, as if she were waiting for him.

"Something wrong?" He asked her. "The tone of your message conveyed urgency."

"Yes." She nodded her head, then very quickly began shaking it. "No… I don't know."

"Something's definitely wrong to have you out of sorts, Cinder." He sighed as he sat beside her and laid a hand upon her knee. "We have a very open relationship, you know you can tell me anything.

"Naruto…" She bit her lower lip and hesitated as she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I…"

"You're…?" He gently pressed.

Glowing amber eyes glanced upwards into their lover's own. "I'm pregnant…"

 **AN: Well, we got some baby Uzumaki's on the way, it seems! As if Naruto doesn't already have enough on his plate, he now has to process the fact that he's gonna be a father! How will he take it? Only time will tell!**

 **Now, I hope you guys can't blame me for the two character deaths here, but I thought it over and came to the conclusion that Raven and Qrow had to suffice as a show of force from Naruto. Their deaths were necessary and I'm well aware of Qrow being a fan favorite, so I'm hoping that at least this reasoning can be sufficient.**

 **Now, onto the conundrum of the fifth girl. With the events of this chapter, does it change some of you guys' suggestions? No? Regardless, I still want more suggestions for a prospective fifth girl. As of right now, I'm considering both Weiss and Emerald, though Weiss has my favor for the moment, but I still want some good, solid opinions from you all!**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**

 **P.S. Volume 4 episode 1 was FUCKING AWESOME!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Another chapter of my favorite story, for your viewing pleasure! Here I am again, kiddies, and I hope you all enjoy this update! A couple of major things happen this chapter, both of which I have been planning for a very long time and here's hoping they play out like I plan them to!**

 **Chapter 9: Home Sweet Home**

"There's a shield in your hand, Jaune!" Naruto scolded his fellow blonde while brandishing his crimson Dustsaber. "Shields are meant to block things, so block with it!"

Another swing of the saber and another barely blocked blow that pushed the knight back a few feet. As Jaune recovered from the blow, he found that Naruto had crossed the distance between them and was about to strike from below with an upwards swing. He adjusted his shield accordingly and brushed the swipe to the side while bringing Crocea Mors around with his right hand in a sloppy attempt to counter, where Naruto merely swung himself around a full three-sixty using the momentum of the shield parry and locked blades with the blonde knight.

"Always keep your guard up!" Naruto again admonished through the blade lock. "Keep your eyes on your opponent, keep a tight grasp on your shield… and watch your footing!"

With a cautionary glance down, Jaune found that Naruto had stepped into his guard, and before he could retaliate, his sparring partner grabbed ahold of his sword arm with his left hand and shoved him backwards while sweeping a leg out from under him with his left foot.

With a cry of surprise, Jaune fell backwards and onto his back, shield discarded a little ways away and sword held firmly in Naruto's left hand; he had been perfectly disarmed and knocked prone with one move.

"You find yourself prone and disarmed, totally at your opponent's mercy." Naruto continued his teaching tirade as he spun Crocea Mors in a flourish a few times. "You are alone; your teammates are nowhere to be found and your opponent is savoring his victory. What do you do now, Jaune?"

"What _can_ I do?!" Jaune fired back heatedly. "Against a fighter like you or Pyrrha, I'm trash! No amount of training can ever bring me up to your level!"

"Wrong!" Naruto shouted. "That's exactly why we're training you! We can see you have an abundance of potential; we're trying to bring it out!"

"An abundance of potential with no natural talent!" He rose so he was sitting upright, his arms resting upon his knees. "I'm not a champion like Pyrrha; I'm not an ex-mercenary like you!"

"So what if Pyrrha's a champion?" Again, Naruto returned the heat. "So what if I was a mercenary?! We both had to begin from somewhere, and that 'somewhere' was right where you are now; on the floor cursing our ineptitude and beating ourselves up because we thought we'd never amount to anything in this blighted world!"

With a fire burning in his mismatched eyes, Naruto stomped over to the sitting knight and planted Crocea Mors in the ground tip first in front of him. "When we were at our lowest, when the world had us disarmed and prone, at its mercy, we got back up and we _fought_! We screamed at the top of our lungs and we charged at the coming darkness headlong, unsure of our own chances, and we snatched our fates back from the jowls of defeat! We didn't give up and I'll be damned if I let you give up when I _know_ you can do better than this!"

Ignoring the boy's stunned expression, Naruto turned on a heel and walked a few paces away, turning only when he thought an appropriate distance had been covered between them. "Now, I'll ask again: You're disarmed, prone and alone with your enemy in front of you, their victor all but assured… what do you do?"

After a few moments of gritting his teeth, Jaune narrowed his eyes and grasped the hilt of Crocea Mors tightly, yanking it out of the ground as he rose and dashed forward at Naruto, abandoning his shield for pure offense.

"I _fight_!" He yelled in a mighty voice as the sound of metal meeting pure Energy Dust filled the air.

As Jaune renewed his struggle, a certain redhead watched from the sidelines as the two blondes faced off against each other, smiling ear to ear. Pyrrha knew she was too gentle with Jaune when it came to his training, which is why she enlisted the help of Naruto, and she had to admit that he was doing wonders for Team JNPR's leader.

While relative normalcy had returned to Beacon just two short weeks after Specter's first assault, the entire Academy was still on edge. Training regimens and sparring classes were now more commonplace and more intense, there were more Huntsmen and Huntresses patrolling the grounds around the clock, recreational time was limited; a number of steps had been taken to ensure the students' preparation for both the Vytal Festival and another surprise attack from Specter… and yet one Ruby Rose was still missing.

All efforts had been made to find the girl, but none of the investigations, inquiries and searches had turned up anything. The other three members of Team RWBY were taking it pretty hard. Weiss had redoubled her efforts on improving herself and her mastery over her Semblance, Mercury was totally unbothered by it, considering he knew it was going to happen, but Yang…

Pyrrha's gaze drifted from the dueling blonde boys to the blonde brawler in question as she sat off to the side among the stands of the arena. The iconic bracers that were Ember Celica were nowhere to be found, she had bags under her eyes, her hair, which she took every measure necessary to make sure was perfect, was disheveled and messier than usual and there were fresh tear stains upon her skirt. Within the same day she had finally found her mother, watched said mother die along with her uncle, then watched on helplessly as her baby sister was kidnapped by the very same man who killed her mother.

She was totally _broken_. She had lost all drive; her will to fight was gone, she rarely ever spoke to anyone anymore, she barely ate and when she ever did find time to sleep, she always woke up half an hour later screaming and in tears. She was refusing to see a psychologist and attempts to cheer her up by her friends was met with silent rejection. Yang was in a dark place right now and Pyrrha couldn't help but feel sorry for her... and then there was her own guilt, knowing that she indirectly played a part in what happened.

All of this had her second guessing her decision to join the revolution as well as Naruto's motives. He and Specter were working together, yet here he was willfully training someone who would most definitely end up as an enemy. She didn't know whether or not he was having a change of heart as well or if he was going to try and turn Jaune against Beacon like he had done with her. Either way, she was in it for the duration; she wanted a new golden age for Remnant and she wanted to save as many people as possible… she had seen firsthand what happens to those who refuse Specter's offer.

"Pyrrha!" Naruto called over to her as he turned off his saber and hooked it upon his belt. "Take over from here!"

"Of course!" She called back as she rose from her seat and hopped over the small ledge separating the stands from the actual arena.

"Yang!" He then called over to the girl in question, who actually flinched at her name being called. "You're up!"

Silence.

"Yang!" He called her again, this time a bit more forcefully. "Go get your gauntlets and fight me!"

"No." She denied with a shake of her head. "I don't want to fight… I don't care."

"… Pyrrha, take Jaune to our secondary training area." He turned and gave a firm glare to the redhead. "I have things covered here."

"R-Right…" Though hesitant, Pyrrha did as she was asked and led Jaune out of the arena.

It was silent throughout the entire arena, the only two souls within now having a stare down. Lilac battled with mismatched blue and onyx in an intense struggle in which Naruto didn't back down from.

"Get your gauntlets." He repeated himself. "You're going to fight. You're going to get yourself out of this rut. You're going to stop moping around and you will prove your worth to this upcoming struggle."

"And why should I?" She scoffed. "Will fighting you bring my Mom back? My Uncle? Ruby? Will fighting solve all of my fucking problems?!" She screamed.

"Of course not!" He fired right back at her. "But it will let you vent everything out! As it is, you're a ticking time bomb of pent up emotions, you're volatile, you're dangerous…" As fast as she could blink, Naruto had crossed the distance between them and was staring into her eyes again. "You are _useless_!"

"I don't need this shit!" She rose to her feet and began stomping off. "Go and get bent, Whiskers! This tough love bullshit won't get you anywhere!"

Outwardly, he was fuming; but on the inside he was celebrating. This is what he wanted, division in the ranks, uncertainty, doubt and fear. Things were falling into place nicely and at the rate this was going, he'd be ready to declare his revolution within a month or two at the very least.

Shaking himself out of his own reverie, Naruto let out a weary sigh and made his way out of the arena proper and into the locker rooms, where he quickly created a Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) and regarded it.

"You're me from here on out until I return." He explained. "I have to pay our… guest a visit."

"Roger!" The clone snapped off a salute before exiting the locker room.

With that small matter dealt with, Naruto disappeared into a Kamui portal he had opened up, reappearing in the middle of his warehouse headquarters where he was immediately greeted via a glomp from Neo.

"You've been waiting to do that." He chuckled at her antics after he had scooped her into his arms.

"I have." She smiled and nodded. "No time anymore. Cinder pregnant, plans succeeding." She pouted. "Am not good enough?"

"You're always good enough for me, Neo." He set her down and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Things are just very hectic for me now, and if I've neglected you, I didn't mean to."

"Make it up later." She sensually licked her lips as she leaned up so she could whisper in his ear. "Ravage me endlessly. Make me scream." She then lightly nibbled on his earlobe. "Everyone hear our love."

"Careful…" He let out a guttural growl. "I just might bend you over this table here and now, the way you're teasing me so..."

"Job first." She pulled away with a wry smirk. "Fucking later."

"Damn tease…" Despite himself, he got a good chuckle out of the whole situation as he followed Neo down into the basement of the warehouse.

It was a rather short walk, where they eventually made it to another room that was guarded by a couple White Fang members, who snapped to attention at Naruto's approach.

"How goes the progress?" He asked one of the pair.

"She's just fifteen." Answered Adam as he met the duo at the door. "And yet she has remarkable willpower."

"Get physical." Neo licked her lips once again, this time sadistically. "Break her body. Then break mind."

"No, Neo." Naruto shook his head. "I have plans for her." With that declaration, he rolled up the sleeve of his duster and applied a bit of Chakra to his sealing matrix, immediately donning his Specter attire with a puff of smoke. "You two wait out here." The mask synthesized his voice into Specter's as he opened the door.

Inside, sitting handcuffed to a chair was Ruby, who seemed to be sleeping as far as he could tell. That thought was dashed when she raised her head and damn near bore a hole straight through his head with her gaze.

"I see you're awake, Miss Rose." Specter noted in slight amusement, not at all affected by her death stare. "I hope you've found us accommodating so far."

"Go to hell!" She fiercely spat. Usually, she'd _never_ curse, but considering the circumstances, she was clearly justified. "You monsters killed my Uncle Qrow! You killed Yang's Mom! I hope you all burn!"

"You'll burn long before we will, Miss Rose, if you keep this tone with me." He warned, his synthesizer lowering his voice to a growl. "As it stands, my word is the only thing keeping you alive."

"Then kill me!" She screeched. "What are you waiting for?! Finish you job already!"

"I'll not grant you what you so desperately wish for, Miss Rose." Specter began pacing around her chair, hands linked behind his back. "You're of more use to me alive than as a corpse... for the moment, at least."

"I'm just a kid! A nobody! An average first year huntress! What use could I possibly have for you?!"

"More uses than you can fathom." The tone in which Specter ushered that phrase sent a chill down the redhead's spine. "I hate to throw away something if it can still be used, you see, and you have more uses left than you realize."

"As what?!" The fear of what he meant was getting to her now. "A slave?! A toy for your men and women to use up?!"

"An ally."

So shocked was she by his bluntly simple answer that it took her a little while to fully process what he had just said… and when she did, she started laughing.

"You…" She fought for a breath between laughs. "You can't be serious! After everything you've done to me, you expect me to willfully join this rebellion?!"

"Yes, actually." Amusement was clear through the synthesizer.

"FUCK YOU!" Her rage had built up again, her eyes were now glowing silver and she was violently thrashing against her cuffs, despite the only damage being done was to her own wrists.

"You'll come around, Miss Rose." Specter sighed as he turned to leave. "And here I was about to offer to bring your mother back."

"My Mom is _dead!_ " She snarled.

"I know." He deadpanned. "Which is why I was going to bring her back." He hated repeating himself, but for this particular redhead, he'd stoop lower than normal.

The silver glow was gone, the thrashing had stopped and her jaw was practically on the floor, eyes wide, yet full of doubt.

"Y-You…" She gulped. "That's impossible! You can't bring people back from the dead! You're not a God!"

"You're right about me not being a God…" Specter started as he grasped the door handle. "But you're so very wrong about me not being able to bring people back." He glanced over his shoulder. "Should you ever willingly join us, I'll prove it to you. Until then… enjoy the silence, Miss Rose."

As soon as he was out of the room, Naruto resealed his Specter attire back into his sealing matrix and turned to face a wide-eyed Adam.

"Can you really do that?" He asked. "I know about your Chakra and everything in between, but… can you really bring people back from the dead?"

"Not yet." He admitted. "That secret was left back in my home dimension."

"If you're going to get her on our side, then you're going to have to show her your power." Adam advised. "You're leaving her wanting and curious."

"… Are you asking me to go back to my world?" That was probably the most lethal tone Adam had ever heard him speak in.

"No." He shook his head. "I'm just suggesting that you prove to her that you hold power over life and death."

"I _won't_ return there!" Naruto vehemently shook his head and brushed past his comrade. "I can't!"

"Then why did you mention a power you don't have?!" Adam called after him. "Given a few days, she'll crack and beg to have her mother brought back and then _you'll_ be the one left wanting when you prove to be a fraud!"

Immediately, Naruto stopped in his tracks and balled his hands into fists. He _could_ go back if he really wanted to; his Kamui was powerful enough to let him make the trip. And he knew Adam was right. He had put himself onto this path of his own volition and he had sworn to do whatever it takes to make his vision a reality… and if that meant returning to his world, then…

"Fine…" He sighed in defeat and seemed to deflate a bit. "Dust won't work where I'm going…" He reached down and unhooked his Dustsabers from his belt, turned and tossed them both to Adam, who caught them. "Keep everything secure here and handle whatever goes wrong. You won't be able to get word to me if something does, so I trust you, Adam."

"Count on me." He nodded. "And good luck."

After taking a few deep breaths, Naruto shifted his Sharingan into its Mangekyou form and pushed some Chakra into his right eye to give his Kamui a bit more charge. Instantly, the portal formed around him and sucked him into its confines.

" **Home sweet home, kit?"** Kurama's voice echoed within his mind.

"Yeah…" Naruto once again sighed as he traveled between dimensions. "Home sweet home…"

It took a little while, but eventually another portal opened in front of him in the classic Kamui spiral pattern and he stepped through to find himself among the ruins of the Kage's Summit venue in the Land of Iron.

The snow was falling gently upon its ruins, a full moon hung high in the air, blocked only by the sparse snow clouds and a gentle wind was blowing. As he took in a big breath of fresh air, he slowly closed his eyes and raised his head skyward. After letting out the breath, he opened his eyes and stared up at the half-covered moon.

"I was expecting a smoking ruin…" He admitted aloud. "I was expecting an apocalypse… and yet it's so peaceful."

" **Maybe that Zetsu bastard lost after all?"** Kurama proposed.

"Maybe." He nodded. "Hopefully… and if he's still around, I'll just shove a Rasengan straight into his face."

" **Kit…"** Kurama hesitated. **"Do you think she's buried here somewhere?"**

Now noticing that he was standing right where he had originally disappeared, Naruto took a glance over to where he remembered seeing Sakura's corpse to find an empty patch of snow covered wood. After a few tentative steps towards the site, he knelt down and brushed the snow away… then simply stared at what he saw. The wood was still stained with long dried up blood… Sakura's blood.

As he reached out with his right hand to place it upon the stain, he heard the soft crunching of snow behind him and immediately went into 'Shinobi' mode. He quickly rose from his crouched position and dashed into the dark corner of a nearby ruined wall, inwardly lamenting his unpolished use of his old Shinobi reflexes when a kunai was thrown at him and embedded itself into the wall next to his head.

"Who's there?" A voice demanded in Japanese.

" **Kit, that voice!"** Kurama exclaimed.

"Sai?!" Naruto called back in Japanese. "Is that you?!"

"N-Naruto…?" Sai's eyes widened upon seeing his presumed dead friend. "H-Hokage-sama, is that you…?"

In the two years since Naruto had been gone, Sai had grown up a bit. His hair was a bit longer, he still retained his snow white complexion and he was a little taller now. His attire consisted of a standard Konoha ANBU uniform, except the usually grey armor was now colored black, his mask was strapped to his belt, as were a couple of scrolls and a pair of tantos, and he was wearing a heavy hooded winter cloak over his armor to guard against the Land of Iron's famous snowstorms.

"Hai…" He nodded. "It's me, Sai." He stood from the corner and slowly approached his old friend.

"Kai!" Sai immediately exclaimed, thinking that it was a Genjutsu.

"I'm no illusion, Sai." Naruto smiled sadly. "I'm really here, I'm really back."

"Imposter!" Sai snarled as he charged forwards, brandishing his twin tantos.

If there ever was a truer test of his Taijutsu skills after neglecting it for two years, Naruto knew of none. He was fighting a true Shinobi again for the first time in two years, and his flaws were glaring.

He dodged left, then right, ducked under another slash and leaned back out of the way of a roundhouse kick, then backpedaled away to create some distance.

"Sai, it's really me!" He tried to reason.

"I'll kill you for stealing his face!" Sai screamed. "You desecrate the face of my Lord Hokage!"

"Shit!" Naruto growled as he made his favorite hand sign. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!"

Immediately following this declaration, nine clones popped into existence and charged headlong at the Konoha ANBU in front of them. Of course, Sai dispatched them all with minimal difficulty, but when he rounded upon the supposed imposter once again, he found a Rasengan only a couple of inches from his face, blotting out his vision within a sea of blue.

"Kage Bunshins… the Rasengan…" Sai's eyes widened once again when he put the pieces together. "H-Hokage-sama… it's really you…"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Naruto huffed in annoyance as he dispelled his Rasengan and brought his friend in for a hug. "Damn, it's so good to see you!"

"How…?" Was all Sai asked as he returned the hug.

"Long story short…" He released the man from the hug. "I killed Sasuke and Obito, Zetsu came around and possessed Obito's corpse, sent me tumbling through dimensions and I ended up on the other side of a wormhole in a totally different dimension where I've spent the past two or so years."

"A new dimension?" Sai parroted. "And what of your right eye? Why do you have the Sharingan?"

"Parting gift from Obito." He chuckled. "I gouged out his eye and decided to take it for my own, seeing as I lost my original right eye during my fight with Sasuke."

"Incredible…" Was all Sai could say. "To survive being ripped into a wormhole… to find a new, habitable dimension… only you could achieve such an impossible feat, Hokage-sama." He let out a small chuckle.

"Come on; let's get out of the cold." Naruto suggested. "You know of a place near here? I've been gone for a while, so…"

"Hai. There's a small village near to this place. We can stop there and I can bring you up to speed on current events."

 **(Some time later)**

"Dear Kami…" Naruto sighed contentedly as he sipped upon the warm tea that had been brought for both he and Sai. "It's good to taste some _real_ tea again."

"Do they not have real tea in this new dimension?" Sai queried after blowing on his tea and sipping it.

"It's all artificial, hardly anything natural." He grimaced at the thought of even comparing the two. "Still… to think that sending me away was enough to cost Zetsu his win…" He scoffed. "Dumbass was the cause of his own defeat."

"I doubt he knew he needed Kurama to complete his plan." Sai shared the sentiment. "And even if he did, he had no way of either bringing you back, or retrieving the other half of your Bijuu."

"Which I really should get around to collecting at some point…" Naruto suggested, mostly to himself.

"Shikamaru won't let you near Konoha if he knew you were alive."

Shikamaru… that was a name that left a sour taste in his mouth. Naruto had learned that Shikamaru was elected the Nanadaime (Seventh) Hokage shortly after his disappearance and it was he who led a Shinobi Alliance against the forces of Zetsu, eventually bringing him down and killing him. He was hailed as a hero while Naruto himself was mourned as a hero and honored in full, even got a state funeral, along with Mei, the Godaime (Fifth) Mizukage and Onoki, the Sandaime (Third) Tsuchikage.

"Shikamaru can go hang himself." Naruto scoffed. "Better yet, I'll hang him myself if he tries to stop me from returning to _my_ village!"

"I protested against his appointment as Hokage." Sai admitted as he swirled his tea in the cup. "Perhaps a bit too loudly. While I wasn't exiled, the new regime looked down upon me for questioning their hero… eventually I just decided to leave."

"You're rogue?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Hai." Sai nodded sadly, then took another sip of his tea. "But, now that you're back, we can retake Konoha, you can have your title back, as you are still the rightful Hokage."

"First thing's first, Sai…" Naruto finished off his tea, then rose from the table they were sitting at. "It's been a long day and I've just been bombarded with two years' worth of current events."

"Of course." He nodded once again. "Try to get some sleep; I'll be standing guard down here."

"Still as uptight as ever." He chuckled as he walked away, but not before patting Sai upon the shoulder.

" **Good to be back, then?"** Kurama asked as Naruto made his way up the stairs and into the bedroom section of the inn.

' _Admittedly, yes.'_ Naruto smiled. _'Never would I have thought that my world survived and was still prospering… dare I say I feel more at home here than in Remnant?'_

" **You may dare."** The oversized fox shared the smile. **"But we still have a job to so and we're here for a very specific reason."**

' _Thanks, Mom.'_

 **(Remnant: Beacon Academy: Same time)**

"About time you got back from those sparring matches." Blake huffed as she crossed her arms under her breasts.

"Sorry, sorry." 'Naruto' chuckled nervously as he entered Team NBSE's dorm. "Took longer than I expected."

"Jaune's coming along well, then?" Emerald asked with a raised brow, playing along with the clone's charade.

"Blondie better be." Frost huffed as he climbed into his bed. "We need all hands on deck if that asshole Specter comes back."

"He's coming along just fine." 'Naruto' nodded. "Still rough around the edges, but he's getting there."

"It's good that you're helping Pyrrha train him." Blake nodded, then went in for a hug… and smelled something off.

"Blake?" 'Naruto' questioned after she didn't release the hug. "Something wrong?" The clone glanced at Frost, then to Emerald, its eyes conveying danger.

"You smell weird, Naruto." She furrowed her brow. "No, that's not it... you smell… like nothing."

"Huh?" The clone played dumb.

"You don't smell like Naruto…" Blake narrowed her eyes as she finally released the hug. "You're not him."

"Don't be ridiculous, Blake." Frost scoffed from behind her as he slipped off his bed, bent down and retrieved Aurora from his pack. "If that's not Naruto, then who is it?"

"I'll find out!" Before anyone could even move, she had throttled the clone in the face, then stared on in shock when the clone burst into a cloud of smoke. "What the hell?!"

That's when a heavy but sharp blow to the back of her head broke through her Aura and rendered her unconscious. Quickly pocketing Aurora and catching the falling Blake after pistol whipping her, Frost uttered a string of curses under his breath.

"I wish you would have remained ignorant of this, Kitty…" He sighed. "Now I gotta bring you in…"

"I'll make up a reasonable excuse as to why our entire team's gone." Emerald nodded as she began redressing herself.

"Oh, Adam's about to have a field day…" Again, Frost groaned. "Sorry, Kitty, but curiosity may kill the cat in this case…"

He didn't want to hand her back over to the Fangs, or Adam in particular, but when Naruto wasn't there, then Adam was the one in charge of the Fangs, and as such, it was his responsibility to take care of things like this. He couldn't be sure what would happen to Blake, if anything, but one thing was for sure...

If anything happened to Blake between the time it takes for Naruto to get back, there will be a reckoning. He pitied the poor person who would dare harm a single hair on her head… but would Adam risk Naruto's wrath for some payback? Frost didn't know, and he didn't want to find out. As far as he was concerned, Blake was under his protection, if only for Naruto's sake, and he'd stand up to anyone who'd wish her harm, even Adam.

Things had just gotten a _lot_ more complicated…

 **AN: Naruto's back in the Elemental Nations, Blake's in way over her head and Adam's been left in charge of everything! This definitely** _ **can't**_ **go wrong in any way, right? So, what did you guys think? I've been planning for Naruto to head back to the Nations for quite a while now, and while he's there, he may or may not bring back with him a few odds and ends…**

 **Now, onto the pairing front. There's been quite a push for Weiss and I can't help but agree with you all on this… but at the same time, I've been considering the notion of bringing Athena in on this. While just an idea for right now, I want to see what you guys think? Emerald's no longer an option, as I have plans for her, so sorry to you Emerald supporters out there!**

 **So now the question is this: Weiss or Athena? A Schnee heiress or the Headmistress of Haven? Would it be too awkward having Pyrrha's Mom in on the same harem as her? More hilarious? More kinky? Or should I stick with my gut and say Weiss? And, to relieve any suspicion of NTR, Pyrrha's Dad is dead and has been for a good long while, so there's no NTR on Athena's part. Give me good, solid opinions for your choices!**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: And here it is, ladies and gents! As always, I had fun writing for this story in particular and here's hoping you all enjoy it! Fair warning: Heavy dialogue this chapter; figured I'd get most of the talking done now so I can get to the action next chapter, so look forward to that!**

 **Chapter 10: It Must Be Love**

"So, tell me again about the schism between the Foundation and Konoha." Naruto spoke as he and Sai made their way through the outskirt borders of the Land of Fire, their destination being Amegakure (Village Hidden by Rain)

"It happened after you 'died'." Sai explained after adjusting his pack. "ROOT was content having one of their own as Hokage and Danzo-sama was very happy to support you, knowing you'd put Konoha first, no matter what."

"This I know." He nodded. "And I'm assuming Shikamaru caused the schism?"

"He limited the Elders in what they could and could not do." Sai nodded in return. "Homura-sama and Koharu-sama no longer had a voice on the Council and Danzo-sama was placed on a watch list, but nevertheless held his seat on the Council thanks to him being the head of the Shimura clan."

"Shikamaru may wear the hat, but this sounds like the work of Shikaku." Naruto hummed in thought.

"You think Shikaku is manipulating his son behind the scenes?" Sai glanced to his right at his friend. "It would make sense. Shikaku has always been a vocal opponent of Danzo-sama and the Foundation as a whole."

"What happened next?" He had a theory, but no solid evidence yet, so he'd hear the rest of the story.

"After the war, things settled down for a time." Sai continued recounting the events. "Other than the limitations on the Elders, Shikamaru enacted no further edicts, as he was content to let peace reign for the foreseeable future… and then the assassinations began."

"Assassinations?" Naruto echoed with widened eyes.

"His personal ANBU squad carried it out." Sai once again nodded. "It started with Homura-sama and Koharu-sama, then the ringleaders of the growing discontent masses, political enemies outside of the main targets and finally Danzo-sama. All others died, but Danzo-sama was prepared for this eventuality and our own ROOT agents killed the hit squad and mailed their heads back to their Hokage with both a message… and explosion tags sewn into their skulls."

"What was the message?" Naruto asked. "Other than the tags?"

"That Shikamaru had just declared war and that word of his misdeeds would be spread to the rest of the nations." He paused for a small smirk to grace his features. "This is why Amegakure accepted us into their village. Their leader said that she owed you a favor and that she'd return that favor in your memory."

"K-Konan?!" Naruto exclaimed as he nearly fell out of step with his friend, knowing exactly who he was talking about. "Konan's alive?!"

"Luckily enough, yes." Sai nodded. "Though Obito fought her for Nagato's eyes, he was so rushed that he left her barely breathing and a hair's breath away from death. The Amegakure Shinobi who witnessed the battle collected her and got her medical attention, though it was a _hard_ fight to keep her alive."

"Ame must have some damn good medics." The blonde hummed in respect, then smiled. "And it will be good to see her again."

"I think she'll be happy to see you again as well, Naruto." Sai smiled, though the tone of his voice suggested that something was afoot. And then there was the smile itself, it almost seemed… sad?

Deciding against questioning it, Naruto merely shifted his gaze forward once again and concentrated on first making it to Amegakure… unaware of what was going on elsewhere.

 **(Remnant: Warehouse HQ: Same time)**

"Get out of my way, Frost." Adam ordered as he put a hand on Wilt. "That's an order."

"We're both Heads of Cerberus." Frost remained firm as he crossed his arms over his chest. "The only power we answer to is Sienna Khan, and she's smart enough to not oppose us. You can't and _won't_ order me around; not with who's in the next room."

"Naruto left _me_ in charge, not you." The bull Faunus was now growling. "With a traitorous whore in that next room, I'm compelled to do my duty. Now get out of my fucking way!"

"That 'traitorous whore' happens to be my teammate and Naruto's girlfriend!" Frost fired back. "Do you have any idea what he'd do to you if he came back and found out you've killed her?!"

"Then he shouldn't be the leader of this revolution then, should he?!" Adam outright yelled. "If he'll fly off the handle because of one death, then he's not fit to lead us!"

"Or maybe you're not fit to be among us, Taurus." Frost grit his teeth as he unfolded his arms. His icy blue eyes began to glow a pale blue light, the door behind him and the ground beneath his feet began to frost over and as he grabbed forward with his right fist at the air, Adam's entire body went rigid. "How about I freeze you right now, then shatter you into tiny pieces, huh?" He pressed as he began tightening his fist.

"F-Fro- GAAH!" Adam tried to speak, but succeeded only in coughing up a few red ice shards that was his now freezing blood.

"We got Ruby on the fence about us and we have Blake in this room who now knows that some shits going down that she didn't know about…" Frost began to smirk. "When Naru comes back, he'll get Red on our side and then schmooze his way out of the doghouse with Blake and finally corrupt her…" His fist was nearly closed now. "And when she's finally corrupted and on our side, we'll offer her your position as the Third Head of Cerberus."

As Adam's entire body went numb, all he could do was stand there and let himself be frozen. His red eyes bore into Frost's blue as the latter finally closed his fist. A white flash enveloped Adam as he was flash frozen from the inside out. Chuckling at the petrified expression the frozen man now wore, Frost withdrew Blizzard and pointed it at his former comrade's head and pulled the trigger, shattering Adam into thousands of pieces splattered all over the floor, the only evidence that he was there being the now discarded Wilt.

"Now hopefully I won't be the one to face the music…" Frost muttered as he holstered Blizzard and scratched the back of his head. "Naru, you come back and if you take exception to this, at least make it quick… and don't fuck my face up, please."

After brushing himself off and recomposing himself, Frost began the rather long walk through the underground bunker under the warehouse to the upper floors… a least he would have had he not walked by the room containing one Ruby Rose, where he paused mid step, as if he was contemplating something.

' _She's just another girl, Frost.'_ He mentally chanted to himself. _'You got girls crawling all over you; you got Velvet visiting you when she needs to blow off steam or just whenever she wants a good fuck. You're a womanizer at heart and you're Naru's number two man; don't throw it all away for the sake of some inconsequential redhead that'll probably die during the revolution!'_

Despite his mental pep-talk, he was still hesitating and he was now biting down on his bottom lip.

"Fuck me sideways!" He groaned. "Fine, to hell with it!"

With that declaration, he took a brief moment to recompose himself once again before tentatively gripping the handle to the door and opening said object where he saw the girl in question still handcuffed to her chair. Wincing at the sound of the door opening, Ruby lifted her head, expecting to find Specter, but when she saw Frost standing there, tears welled up in her now wide eyes; her mouth was agape with unspoken words now being formed.

"F-Frost…?" She whispered hopefully as the first tear fell.

"It's me, Red." He crossed the room and knelt down in front of her while cradling both of her cheeks with both hands and gave her the smirk that always seemed to bring a blush to her face. "Thought you could use some company in here."

Despite his attempts at conversation, Ruby broke into a full blown meltdown upon seeing him. After freezing her cuffs and breaking them, Frost found himself being knocked backwards onto his back from his crouch as the redhead had immediately lunged forward and threw herself onto him while sobbing into the fabric of his white jacket. Despite the new weight, Frost forced himself back up so he was sitting with the girl in his lap and he began rubbing her back soothingly.

"You're alright now, Red." He whispered to her. "You're safe now."

"I…" Ruby could barely form any coherent words. "I was terrified… t-they… Specter… he nearly broke me…"

"You don't have to worry about that anymore, Red." He ran a hand through her hair. "Not while I'm here."

"They're monsters…" Despite her tears, the anger was now returning. "I hate them. I hate them all…"

"They're only doing what they think is right, Red." He broke the hug so they could look each other in the eyes. "Or rather… _we_ are."

"W-We…?" It took a few seconds, but a look of horrified realization settled upon the young Rose's face. "Frost, please… no."

"I'm with them." He nodded. "Not only that, but I'm Specter's right hand man, his number two in the hierarchy we have going on."

"Did… you know about…" She began.

"What would happen to you, your Uncle and Raven?" He finished for her. "Yes."

"You son of a bitch!" She snapped as she struck out with her right hand and slapped him across his left cheek. "You're no better than Specter! Was this just another attempt to break me?!" The tears were now falling again, this time in streams. "Did he put you up to this?!"

"Red, I…" He began, but got cut off.

"This was what he wanted all along; send _you_ of all people in to ensure that I'd be broken!" She vigorously shook her head as she clenched her eyes shut and curled into herself, as if she were trying desperately to hold herself together. "Tell me, dammit! Tell me why I had to fall in love with a traitor?!"

"L-Love…?" Frost stared on, eyes wide, mouth agape, frozen with shock.

" _LOVE_!" She repeated with a sobbing scream. "Head over heels, hopeless, _real_ love! I've loved you for the longest time, and Specter knew this! He sent you here, knowing that you're my weakness…" Having now screamed herself hoarse, she pulled her knees up to her chest and began crying into them.

"… I…" Frost found that his voice was failing him. As he searched for his voice, he lifted his shaking right hand and planted it upon Ruby's crown, then cupped her left cheek when she raised her head once again. "I love you too…"

And before she could even react, Frost had leaned forward and captured her lips in a heated kiss, her first admittedly, and raked his right hand back and through her hair once again during this moment of passion. She was seeing stars at this point and she was stunned, but her instincts took over and she returned the kiss with equal heat. Her beautiful silver eyes were closed, her hands had gone from her knees to locked behind his head and as soon as the kiss began, it ended with red blushes covering both of their cheeks and their breaths intermingling with each other.

"Come with me, Frost." She finally said after opening her eyes. "We can get out of here, go back to Beacon. You can tell Professor Ozpin everything you know; that'll earn you a full pardon!"

"I can't, Red." He shook his head. "What we're doing is for the good of all Remnant; Specter, despite his methods, cares deeply about this world and he wishes better for it. He's fighting for a better future for us all."

"But he killed my Uncle Qrow and Yang's Mom!" She shook her head. "Methods like that can't ever lead to true peace!"

"A man by the name of Adam Taurus killed Qrow." He corrected. "And not ten minutes ago, I killed him in return. And Raven… well, Specter is a very thorough and very persuasive individual, as well as very, _very_ powerful. Faking a death is well within his capabilities."

"She's… alive?" Ruby gawked.

"Alive and has sided with us." Frost confirmed. "Need proof?" After an affirmative nod of the head from the girl in front of him, he pulled out his Scroll and punched in a number. "Rae, it's me. I need you downstairs."

Within seconds, a reddish black portal opened up and out stepped a very much alive Raven Branwen, minus her mask.

"Buttering up the girl are we, Frost?" Raven teased with a smirk. "Needed proof that I was alive, eh?"

"I tried telling her, but after what she's been through, can you blame her?" Frost shrugged.

"I suppose not." Raven nodded, then regarded the girl. "So, you're Summer's little girl, huh?"

"M-My name's…" Ruby began.

"Ruby Rose, fifteen years old, 5'2", you favor your left hand, Crescent Rose is your weapon of choice and your bust size is somewhere in the high B's." Raven cut her off with a flood of information and chuckled at the embarrassed look on the poor girl's face when her bust size was revealed.

"Good to know…" Frost kept a mental note of the last part.

"H-How do you know all of that?!" She squeaked as her arms went to cover her breasts.

"Official government records exist, you know." She pointed out. "And I estimated your bust size… judging from your reaction, I was right."

"Do you always just stare at other girls' tits until you get a rough estimate of how big they are?" Frost chuckled through the attempted tease.

"Oh, like you don't?' Raven fired back with a roll of her red eyed.

"Touché." Frost conceded that point.

"Regardless…" Her attention fell back upon Ruby. "I may have had apprehensions about this operation before, hell, I even fought Specter a couple of times before joining. But now that I've committed to this, I can back up whatever Frost is saying. It's for the good of all Remnant. The Councils are spineless pricks who will run this world into the ground and turn us all into Grimm food."

"And what about Specter?' Ruby questioned. "He said he could bring people back from the dead… surely he's not that powerful?"

"That… requires some explanation." Frost began as he started from the beginning.

It was gonna be a _long_ story.

 **(Amegakure: Same time)**

"We're being stared at, Sai…" Naruto muttered to his friend as he pulled up the hood of the cloak he was wearing to stave off Amegakure's namesake rain.

" _You_ are." Sai corrected as he also adjusted his hood. "People around here know who I am. You're the unknown quantity here."

"Well, let's try to keep me hidden until we reach Ame Tower, eh?" He noticed some hidden Foundation agents within the gathering crowds.

"Nobody would dare attack you in my presence." Sai reassured the blonde. "Besides, we're nearly at the tower."

Flanking the entrance to the tower were two Ame Jounin, who let the both of them pass upon seeing that it was Sai who was leading the way.

"You sure it's not my ears?" Naruto continued the conversation as he pulled the hood down, and as soon as he did so, his fox ears twitched for emphasis.

"I hadn't thought of that…" Sai hummed in thought as he also pulled his hood down. "Still boggles the mind, those things…"

"Hey!" Naruto indignantly exclaimed. "I'm rather fond of them!"

"After living with them for just over two years, I'm not surprised."

"Sai!" A ROOT agent called out. "Danzo-sama wants to see you!"

"I was just on my way to see him!" Sai called back. "Find Konan-sama as well, she should be present for this!"

"At once!" The agent voiced his compliance and shot off to find the woman in question.

After another short walk, the pair came upon a side room that was flanked on both sides not by any Ame Shinobi, but two ROOT ANBU, who both snapped to attention when Sai presented himself.

"Danzo-sama is expecting us." He said.

"Who's your friend?" One ANBU asked, his head inclined in an inquisitorial manner.

"Someone Danzo-sama will be very happy to see again." With his piece being said, Sai brushed passed the two ANBU and opened the door to reveal a dimly lit room with torch sconces lining both walls, Spartan in design with the only furniture being a sitting mat, a matching low to the ground desk and two unfurled scrolls hung on either side of the far walls. Flanking the desk were two lit braziers and sitting at the desk was a man that Naruto actually cracked a smile upon seeing.

Without looking up from his paperwork, Shimura Danzo broke into the faintest of smirks as he continued signing off on the documents he was working through. "After two years, your Chakra feels the same, Naruto." He spoke, a hint of amusement in his aged voice. "You're rather lively for a dead man, no?"

"You know me." Naruto shrugged with a chuckle. "I like to regularly break the rules, and if I'm meant to be dead, then this is me screwing my fate once again."

"When the reports came in detailing your status as MIA, I suspected that you were still alive." Danzo put down his brush and folded his hands upon the desk, regarding the pair. "It was Shikamaru and his supporters who pushed to change your status from MIA to KIA. They wanted you gone and forgotten."

"Still had the decency to throw me one hell of a funeral, as I understand it." He scoffed as he approached the desk.

"As grandiose as your funeral was, he couldn't have been happier to throw your memory to the wolves." Danzo grunted. "He wanted to forge his own path as Hokage and he wanted to outdo both you, Tsunade and Hiruzen all in the same breath." He paused for a scoff of his own. "Youthful arrogance to think that he could outdo three Hokage's at the same time, all three of which his betters in every conceivable notion."

"Now that I'm back, I can take our village back." Naruto resolved with a hard stare. "Here's hoping I'll have the support of the Foundation?"

"You are still our rightful Hokage." Danzo surprisingly bowed his head. "Need you even ask if you have our support?"

"Along with Konan-sama, Gaara-sama has secretly pledged his own support for our cause, as he still considers you a brother, even in 'death'." Sai spoke up. "So we have Amegakure and Sunagakure on our side."

"That just leaves the question of Ay, Chojuro and Kurotsuchi." Naruto mulled it over.

"Ay-dono has repeatedly expressed his discontent with how things have been handled, so we may have Kumogakure on our side as well." Danzo offered.

"What of Chojuro and Kirigakure?" The blonde asked as he began pacing around the room, deep in thought as if he were planning something.

"As a Swordsman of the Mist and Mizukage, Chojuro commands respect from nearly all circles. His support would throw considerable influence our way." Sai joined in on the planning, though opting to remain stationary.

"And Kurotsuchi?" Naruto had completed his first lap.

"She's more volatile than her compatriots within the Gokage (Five Kages)." Danzo supplied. "Iwagakure received little to no dispensation for their role in the war against Zetsu. Most monetary gain was split up evenly and all land taken was also evenly divided, yet Iwa somehow received less than the average payment and gained the least amount of land."

"So she's looking for a reason to go to war." Naruto nodded as he stroked his chin.

"Chojuro, however, is completely neutral." Sai reasoned. "With the amount of support we already have, we could theoretically force a settlement, but it'd be dodgy at best."

" **We're not exactly here to fight an entire war, kit."** Kurama counseled his Jinchuuriki. **"I say we grab my Yin half, find out where Orochimaru's Edo Tensei scroll is and lave this world to its own devices."**

' _I've spent enough time here, I agree.'_ Naruto inwardly continued the conversation. _'But I see much to gain here and precious little to lose save for more time spent here.'_

" **What's the game plan?"**

' _If we retake Konoha, I'll be reinstated as Hokage, meaning I now have an entire army at my disposal… an army that trumps anything and everything Remnant has ever or will ever see. If I pull this off, I could declare my revolution immediately upon returning to Remnant.'_

" **Along with all of the revolutionaries that have joined you so far…"** Kurama hummed in thought. **"An army of Shinobi, plus the army you already have… kit, no one would be able to stop you."**

' _And even then, I could just take ten or so of ROOT's best agents with me and I'd have a personal bodyguard force that could serve the same role as an entire Shinobi army.'_ At this point, he was outwardly smiling. _'You with me on this, buddy?'_

" **Hell yes!"** Kurama bellowed in complete agreement.

"I can see that you've just had a conversation with your tenant." Danzo's voice broke him out of his reverie. "What does Kurama say about this?"

"He thinks that Konoha's gone on long enough under a Hokage that has no idea what he's doing." Naruto expertly lied. "He's totally on board with this war we're planning."

Upon finishing his sentence, Naruto turned to regard the door as it opened, revealing a wide eyed Konan. Her blue hair was now longer and she had it tied back into a ponytail, she had an Amegakure Hitai-ate (Forehead protector) tied to her forehead and had a couple of extra piercings upon both of her earlobes. She was currently wearing a black sleeveless zip up vest that was zipped up to just under her impressive high D-cups, underneath of which was a long-sleeved chain mesh undershirt, matching chain mesh leggings, knee-high ANBU sandals and a black frilled skirt that looked to be more practical than showy. Upon both of her hands were fingerless gloves, upon her arms sat a pair of armguards and matching shinguards upon her shins, and an Amegakure-style Jounin flak jacket topped off her rather risqué but still practical ensemble.

"Konan." Naruto greeted her with a smile, and had the decency to blush at her new appearance. "Long time no…"

He would have continued the sentence had she not grappled him into a hug.

"I knew you weren't dead." She whispered to him. "You carry the will of Nagato and Yahiko with you; they wouldn't let you die so easily."

"Nor would they let _you_ die so easily." He returned the hug, then tightened his hold upon her. "Had I known Obito would attack you, I would have been there…"

"It's in the past." She brushed it off and broke the hug with a smile. "We both survived and we now have a chance to make the most of our second chances."

"I can count on you to be beside me when I march back into Konoha, right?" He knew the answer, but he had to ask anyway.

"I should have stayed by your side regardless." She nodded resolutely, her amber eyes catching his mismatched orbs. "After today, you have me in the same capacity Nagato had me." She sunk to one knee. "Consider me yours to do with as you please."

"K-Konan…" He stuttered with a deepened blush. "Please, get up. I require no servant; what I want is a friend I can trust."

"Then consider me a friend as well." She smiled at him as she rose to her feet.

"If you need friends you can trust…" Sai began after receiving an approving nod from Danzo. "There may be one other person here who will be overjoyed to see you."

"Oh?' His brow raised. "Who?"

"Follow me." Sai gestured for the blonde to follow.

Through the many winding halls of the tower Sai led both him and Konan, who decided to stick beside her new charge. It wasn't a long walk to their destination, which was a hospital ward that was connected to the tower itself near the base. Sai knew what he was looking for, and when the nurses waived them through, he led Naruto through a few more hallways and up to another door which connected to a patient's room.

"Someone I know in there?" Naruto questioned with a still raised brow.

"Konan and I shall stay out here." Sai ignored the question. "What awaits you inside is for you and you alone."

"We'll be just outside." Konan placed a seemingly comforting hand on his shoulder as she and Sai walked away, leaving him standing there confused.

With an audible shrug, Naruto grasped the doorknob and gave it a good twist, then entered the room… and froze. Behind him, the door clicked shut and in front of him laid a person he was _sure_ he'd never see again. Lying in the bed was Uzumaki Sakura, his wife, his love, his _life_. Her pink hair had grown longer, she was wearing naught but a patient's gown and she was hooked up to all kinds of monitors and IV drips and upon her abdomen laid his long discarded Konoha Hitai-ate.

She was in a coma, it seemed, which would have explained why he had seen her every now and then… her spirit had followed him into Remnant and was trying to let him know that she was still alive, but he was so grief stricken and driven by his own goals that he had pushed her away.

He took a hesitant step forward, as if he were expecting the ground beneath him to cave in, then another and another until he was standing next to her bedside. He remembered her as a strong Kunoichi; he remembered how proud she was of who she was, how resolute she was in their friendship, how loving she was during their dates… how _happy_ she was to be his wife. As he looked at her slightly emaciated form, a tear rolled down his cheek as he took her left hand into his own and sat down in the chair that was by her bedside.

"You were the reason I started my revolution." He spoke, his voice just above a whisper. "I lost you, I thought I had lost my world… but here I am, back in my own world with the woman of my dreams still alive and in a coma… because of me." He grit his teeth as another tear fell. "I was too weak to protect you, Sakura-chan. I was too scared to face the truth of your death, so I drove you away when you were trying to reach out to me through entire dimensions. I gave up on you, but you _never_ gave up on me…"

He paused to brush a stray strand of her pink hair out of her face. "I'll do better, you'll see." He declared as he clenched her hand into his in a tighter grip. "I'll regain my title as Hokage, then I'll bring a new golden age to Remnant… and guess what?" He smiled as he leaned in to whisper to her. "You're gonna be my Empress. So kick this coma in the ass already and return to me… like I've returned to you."

"I don't need to be an Empress…" A soft, hoarse voice echoed throughout the room, which prompted Naruto to jolt up out of his chair as it clattered to the floor, attention solely on the pinkette in front of him. "As long as I'm beside you, nothing else matters." Two emerald orbs were now staring back at him.

"S-Sakura-chan…?" He called out to her.

"You came back, Naruto-kun…" Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to sit up. "I knew you'd come back to me."

"How could I ever truly leave you?" He helped her sit up, aware of how weak she was at the moment. "You've never left my thoughts. _Never._ "

"The last thing I saw before blacking out was Zetsu sending you away in a Kamui portal…" The tears only intensified as she desperately clutched to him for support. "And then I remember seeing flashes of you in another world…"

"The coma…" He began, still unbelieving.

"I swore, just before I blacked out, that I wouldn't wake up until I saw you again…" She weakly chuckled. "Seems like the Gods have a sense of humor." She snuggled into his embrace as he sat upon the edge of her bed. "Your touch woke me up."

"And glad am I that it did." He smiled as he planted a kiss upon her crown.

"After nearly two years and you kiss me _there_?" She giggled as she leaned upwards and turned her head so she was looking right at him. "Your Empress wants the real thing."

"And I'd be a poor Emperor if I said no." He chuckled, then leaned down into her and captured her lips in a soft kiss that sent a long-forgotten spark throughout their entire bodies.

With him holding her up, she snaked her hands up and ran them through his blonde locks as she moaned blissfully into the kiss, another few tears now falling. It had been so long since they had seen each other, yet from this one kiss, it was apparent that their love was still as strong as it was nearly two years ago. It was a short kiss, however, and when it ended, they pressed their foreheads together and smiled.

"I love you, Sakura-chan." Her name felt foreign as it rolled off of his tongue, but the mere action of saying her name seemed to make him smile even brighter.

In response, she took a glance down and retrieved his Hitai-ate, then carefully brought it up and attempted to tie it to his forehead, with his eventual help. Once the headband was tied securely, she smiled once again and pecked him on the lips.

"I love you as well, Naru-kun." She emphasized the statement by flicking his Hitai-ate with a light metal ring resounding throughout the room, then regarded his fox ears. "Even if you have a couple of extra pieces here and there."

"You take exception to these?" He asked while motioning to the ears in question.

"Oh, no." She giggled as she shook her head negative. "They're… rather cute."

"Please don't scratch them." He all but begged. "Contrary to popular belief, there's actually sensitive to stuff like that."

"I won't, don't worry." She continued to giggle. "I just think you look even cuter now."

"I hope you turn into a Faunus when I take you back to Remnant." He grumbled. "See who's laughing then."

Before she could retort, the door swung open and Sai stepped in, shocked when he saw that Sakura was awake, yet he took it in stride as he adjusted the object he was holding in his arms.

"Well, this _is_ fortuitous." He chuckled. "Naruto, you really _do_ defy the odds, it seems."

"Good to see you again, Sai." Sakura mumbled with a frown as she toyed with her fingers. Just then, her gaze drifted downwards to her abdomen and it seemed like something clicked.

Uncaring of the other man in the room, she frantically lifted her gown up, exposing her stomach and most of her legs and thighs, staring at the vertical scar that marred her skin.

"We saved him, Sakura." Sai reassured her.

"Him?" Naruto asked, oblivious to what was going on.

"Little did the medics know that when they hooked her up to all these machines that she was pregnant…" Sai began carefully.

Immediately, Naruto's eyes widened and his head swiveled around to look at his wife in disbelief. With a nervous nod, she confirmed it and returned her attention to Sai.

"It took everything the medics had to keep both you and the baby alive, Sakura, but in the end, you had a very successful pregnancy and they gave you a C-Section when the time came…" He finished as he adjusted the bundle in his arms.

After taking a couple more steps towards the pair, he gently laid the bundle into Sakura's arms. The bundle squirmed a bit as it threw the blanket off of itself, revealing a one and a half year old boy that had a mop of blonde hair, two symmetrical whisker marks upon both cheeks and emerald green eyes. He had just woken up from a nap and his face conveyed a bit of crankiness.

"Uncle Sai…" He mumbled. "Sleepy."

"Look who's holding you." Sai pressured the young boy.

"Kaa-chan (Mother)?" He glanced at Sakura. "Wake?"

As the tears now became streams, Sakura took the boy into her arms and gave him a big hug. "Kaa-chan's awake…" She all but sobbed. "Kaa-chan…" She repeated again, as if it were a foreign word she was trying to learn.

Naruto, however, had gone into shock at what was now happening. First he returns to find his world still thriving, then he finds out his wife never died and what's more was pregnant the entire time and now he was face to face with the son he didn't know he had. He ran a weary hand down his face as he sighed, struggling to process it all.

"Who's man, Kaa-chan?" The boy, once he was done being glomped looked up in wonder at the man in front of him.

"That's your Tou-chan (Father)." Sakura smiled as she wiped a few more tears away.

"Tou-chan?" The boy tilted his head quizzically.

"Boruto, say hi to your Tou-chan!" Sakura gently nudged the now identified Boruto.

Boruto. Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at the name. Boruto, Bolt Uzumaki, named after Minato, no doubt. As Boruto crawled his way up the length of the bed, he reached out with one of his hands and gently tugged upon Naruto's duster.

"Tou-chan?" Boruto once again tilted his head.

"Hai…" Naruto smiled as he scooped the boy up into his arms. "I'm your Tou-chan, little guy." Like Sakura, a few tears began falling for him as well as he held _his son_ in his arms, as it had finally sunk in.

"Tou-chan, funny ears." Boruto stated as he reached up and gave his Dad's fox ears a couple of good tugs.

"G-GAAH!" Naruto exclaimed in pain. "That hurts!"

Undeterred, Boruto let out a childish giggle and began tugging away once again, much to Naruto's dismay. Sakura, however, began laughing at the antics between father and son despite clearly still trying to process that they were parents now.

Parents… they could get used to that word. It'd take some time and adjustment, but they could definitely get used to it.

 **AN: Sakura's alive, she and Naruto are parents, Frost and Ruby are an item, Raven's alive and a part of the revolution, Adam's dead… what other craziness will happen?!**

 **What did you guys think, though? Will Naruto and Sakura make good parents? Will Frost quit his womanizing tendencies and actually settle down with Ruby? As I ask these questions, I can't help but wonder what this has done to the pairing situation.**

 **Obviously with Sakura back in the picture and Boruto being a thing, there's a strong case to be made for her, but I want opinions from you guys! I'm trashing the Athena idea, as I just couldn't think of a way to make it work; in her place, however, is now both Sakura and Raven. Should Naruto remain loyal to his wife and include her in on things? Will Raven fall for Specter? Will Weiss come from behind and steal Naruto's heart in a clutch victory? I don't honestly know, so I leave it up to you guys. Note that only one girl will be included, so make your choices count. Will it be Weiss, Sakura or Raven?**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: And it's back! Here I am again, kiddies, with the next chapter of what is still my favorite story to write! Sorry this took so long; I wanted to make sure this one was up to snuff, plus I had unexpected bouts of inspiration on a couple other stories, but my schedule should be clear now! Another dialogue heavy chapter here, so this is your fair warning!**

 **Chapter 11: There Can Be Only One…**

"Sir!" Glynda panicked as she bolted out of the elevator and into the Headmaster's office while holding a Scroll. "Naruto Uzumaki and Blake Belladonna of Team NBSE have been found!"

"Where?" Ozpin demanded as he stood sharply.

"It's not a matter of 'where', Professor." A very familiar synthetic voice came out of the Scroll Glynda was holding. "But a matter of 'when'."

"Specter…" The bespectacled man swiped the Scroll from Glynda's grasp and glared hatefully into the display. "So, you're responsible for their disappearance?"

"For two weeks I've held them." Specter nodded. "I felt as if you were ignoring me, my friend, so I decided to give you a bit of incentive to hunt me even harder."

"You're using them as if they were playthings!" He shouted. "They're innocent! They had nothing to do with anything!"

"Miss Belladonna turned her back on my allies." Specter pointed out, his synthesizer adding a growl to his voice. "And Naruto turned his back on me personally. We were in a position to change things for the better and he betrayed me."

"So this is you getting even while at the same time toying with me?" Ozpin's tone darkened. "When you lose this war, I will take such pleasure in ripping that mask off your face before executing you."

"I didn't think you were capable of such hatred, Professor." Specter chided. "Unfortunately, while you're brooding, my men are currently moving Naruto and Blake both, as well as Miss Rose, so they could be in a number of locations; not even I know where until they're actually in place."

"Give me. My students. Back." Ozpin's grip upon the Scroll was tightening by the second.

"You're in no position to dictate terms to me, my friend… not yet, at least." Specter waived the threat off. "And until you are, I think I'll simply sit back and continue to dance circles around you." He then leaned into the display so his visor was level with the camera. "Adieu, Professor."

And with that, the display abruptly shut off around the same time that Ozpin had completely crushed the Scroll in hand, his Aura protecting him from most of the damage.

"Damn him!" He threw the fragments away. "Damn them all!"

 **(With Specter: Same time)**

"You made a pretty good Specter there." Roman complimented as the broadcast shut down and 'Specter' removed his mask, revealing none other than Frost. "Like _damn_ good."

"Somebody had to cover Naru's ass while he's in his home dimension." Frost shrugged as he set the mask down upon a desk. "At least this way, we have an excuse as to why both he and Blake have been missing."

"Speaking of the cat…" Roman lit a cigar and began walking beside his snow fox Faunus comrade. "It's about time for someone to take another crack at swaying her to our side."

"It had to be done by the time Naru gets back." Frost nodded. "I'll take over today; she hasn't seen me yet."

"Better you than Neo." Roman shrugged.

Along the way, Frost stopped to redress himself in his standard clothing and once done, made way to Blake's holding cell where he fished around in his pockets for the key to the door and unlocked it. Immediately upon stepping into the room, Frost stopped himself from wincing when he saw her huddled into one of the far corners of the room, knees hugged against her chest and head lying upon her knees. Though absolutely no one had touched her, there were spots of dried blood upon her fingertips and scars upon the heavy wooden door where she tried using her claws to scratch her way out to no avail.

Upon hearing the door to her room open, she slowly lifted her head from her knees to stare into the icy blue orbs of a person she thought she could trust.

"I was wondering when you'd be by." She said. "I'm not stupid; I know you were the one who pistol whipped me and brought me here."

"I had to, Blake." Frost stepped fully into the room and shut the scarred door behind him. "You learned something you shouldn't have; I had to bring you here, for your own safety."

"Where's Naruto?" She snapped. "The _real_ Naruto?"

"Gone." He answered honestly. "He's not here right now."

"… So he was in on this as well." She ducked her head down once again.

"We're both trying to do what's right here, Blake." Frost placated. "We're a part of this revolution because we believe that change has to come sooner than later; we're fighting for a better future."

"Just leave me in here." Her voice quivered. "Naruto's abandoned me; he knows I'd _never_ agree to this."

"He hasn't abandoned you, Blake." He shook his head. "He's doing all of this for _you_."

"Specter has a hold of his leash now." Teary amber eyes peered up into icy blue. "When Specter sees that I'm not willing to cooperate, he'll order Naruto to kill me…" She clenched her eyes shut. "And he'll do it."

"He would _NOT_." Frost continued to press.

"He never loved me; I was just his cover while he infiltrated Beacon." She sobbed. "He played me like a flute and I _believed him_. I _trusted_ him." Her head shot up and she glared at him as the unshed tears began to fall. "I _LOVED_ him!"

With nothing to say, all Frost did was stand there and watched as she broke before him.

"He always was sociopathic, yet despite knowing this, I thought he could change… I _hoped_ he could change!" She continued. "But he's worse than he was before and this time, he's being enabled by an equally malicious terrorist who's more than happy to let him off the leash!"

"You're so, so _wrong_." Frost sighed. "I'll not bother explaining it to you; just sit here and wallow in your delusions until he gets back." He stopped himself as he gripped the handle of the door and peered over his shoulder. "You'll see, Blake. You'll see just how utterly wrong you are."

As he exited and locked the door behind him, Frost let out a heavy sigh as he leaned back first against said door and ran a hand down his face.

' _Naru…'_ He mentally mused. _'I hope taking this vacation of yours is worth it…'_

 **(Elemental Nations: Amegakure: Same time)**

"Go on." One ROOT agent gestured to the door in front of both him and his partner. "Interrupt Hokage-sama, I dare you."

As if on cue, a long and loud moan from a woman escaped the closed confines of the wooden obstruction in front of them.

"I'm not risking my neck on the off chance that I get an eyeful of Sakura-sama." The agent's partner shook his head. "I'm not willing to die just because of an accidental peek."

"Well, one of us has to call him to the meeting." The first agent folded his arms over his chest. "Danzo-sama and Konan-sama are waiting for him."

"NARUTOOO~~!" They heard Sakura once again howl out in pure ecstasy.

"Hell no." The second shook his head once again and backed away from the door. "I'm not dying for this, nor am I interrupting them."

"Out of my way." Came the voice of Sai as he pushed past the two agents and marched right up to the door and fearlessly rapped his fist against it a few good heavy times. "Naruto, there's a meeting!"

"He's – AAH – cominggg~!" Sakura called out for her husband.

"In more ways than one, it seems." The first agent muttered to his partner.

"Today's the day!" Sai called back. "So hurry up and finish so we can make good time!"

Soon enough, all had fallen silent, save for a faint rustling sound followed by footsteps and finally the door was opened, revealing a smirking and disheveled Naruto wearing nothing but a pair of pants.

"Look, you fucking buzzkill." He glared at Sai, but never dropped his smirk. "If I wasn't in such a good mood now, I'd probably hit you for interrupting us."

"But?" Sai quirked an eyebrow.

"But, you're right." He sighed. "Today's the day to declare to the world that I'm alive and I'm coming for my village."

"Finally." The pale painter sighed in relief. "When can we expect you?"

"Immediately." He answered. "Just let me get dressed."

As he closed the door and rounded the corner back into his bedroom, he took a moment to take in the very naked form of Sakura lying upon their bed, basking in a post-coitus glow as she smiled and watched him cross the room.

"This recent Kage's Summit won't know what hit them." She spoke as she stood and pecked her husband on the lips. "Show them you're alive and well, show them that you're still the Hokage Konoha deserves."

"You're talking as if you're not gonna be there with me." He chuckled as he returned the kiss. "Your rehab's gone well; you're fit for duty again."

"I know." She sighed. "I've never been a good talker, though. You're leading the negotiations, so everything rests in your hands."

"I can handle it." He flashed a smirk. "Now hurry up and get dressed. We have to make it to Konoha in a timely fashion."

Quickly, the pair began redressing themselves in their new sets of clothing. Sakura was now wearing a maroon red sleeveless qipao top trimmed with white that held the Uzumaki clan crest stitched into its back, medium gray cargo shorts that stopped at her knees, a short-sleeved chain mesh undershirt under her qipao, steel shin guards underneath her calf high ANBU sandals, black gloves adorning her hands, a kunai holster upon her right thigh, the standard hip pouch upon her lower back, her headband tied around her waist as a belt and from her neck dangled a golden necklace from which hung two emblems, one depicting the Uzumaki clan crest and another the Haruno family crest plus a matching golden locket inside of which was a picture of Naruto, herself and Boruto, plus a golden ring which was her wedding band.

Naruto was now wearing a black short-sleeved shirt that was trimmed with orange around the collar and hem and a stylized image of an open fox's maw inlayed in orange upon the center, black cargo pants that were also trimmed with orange, black steel-toed boots that had hardened orange soles, a long-sleeved chain mesh undershirt under his t-shirt, steel armguards upon his forearms, his old Dust-imbued black fingerless gloves, his old utility belt was still in place though it now held a katana instead of his Dustsabers.

Around his neck sat his old silver amulet, though its sapphire was now replaced with a ruby and hanging from its chain was a matching band to Sakura's which was his wedding band, his headband sat tied around his forehead, a green Konoha-style Jounin flak jacket was zipped up over his shirt and to top off the ensemble was a new duster which was still made of black leather but was now cut into three 'tails', had a red fabric underlay and was Chakra-conductive.

Once they were both dressed they made their way out of their room and met Sai, who was still waiting for them with the two ROOT agents and Boruto, who was being tended to by one of the agents.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Born ready." Naruto nodded.

"Just give us a moment with our son." Sakura said as she and her husband passed by their teammate.

"Tou-chan, Kaa-chan!" Boruto stopped messing with the ROOT agent and ran into the waiting arms of his Mom.

"Boru-kun, Tou-chan and Kaa-chan have to leave for a little while." Sakura explained to the starry eyed toddler. "So be good while we're gone, you here?"

"I'll see about getting you something while we're out, how about that?" Naruto bribed his son when he saw the kid about to fuss.

"Promise, Tou-chan?" Boruto whipped his blonde head around to stare at his Dad.

"I promise, buddy." He held out his right pinky.

"Pinky swear." Boruto took his Dad's pinky into his own, recognizing the gesture.

Naruto and Sakura both then kissed their son upon the crown of his head before handing him off to an attendant who had just arrived at Sai's behest.

"Let's go." Naruto began walking forward, flanked by Sakura on his right and Sai on his left and followed closely by the two ROOT ANBU.

"Konan." Naruto nodded to the woman in question as she fell into step with the group. "Glad to have you with us." He flashed a smirk.

"I'm not missing this." Konan smirked back. "Besides, I'm both Amegakure's leader and your direct subordinate now."

"Be ready for anything." Was all he said before the group grew serious once again and began their long trek towards Konoha for the Kage's Summit.

 **(Konohagakure: Three days later)**

It was an early morning for one Hyuuga Hinata. She had just finished dressing herself and was about to exit her bedroom when a rather loud snore broke the silence in the room. Giggling silently, she walked over to her bed where the figure of a man was laid upon it, shirtless.

"Shika-kun." She gently called out. "Shika-kun, the Summit is today."

"Thirty more minutes…" Shikamaru groaned as he turned in his semi-sleep.

"Shika-kun." She pressed a bit more firmly. "You have to be there on time."

"Why did I accept this job…?" He once again groaned as he rose from the bed and ran a sleepy hand down his face before locking eyes with his wife. "Morning." He smiled.

"Morning." She also smiled as they both closed the distance with a kiss. "Now, I believe there's a meeting you have to head up?"

"Yeah, yeah." He rose to his feet and headed for the shower. "Get to the office and prepare the paperwork, please?"

"Already on it." She called into the bathroom as she exited their house.

She knew that the other four Kages were already in the village and she knew how crucial this meeting was. Iwagakure had finally openly voiced their grievances, backed by Sunagakure while Kumogakure and Kirigakure had remained neutral yet agreed to attend a Kage's Summit. She was hoping that her husband's status as the hero of the war against Zetsu would be enough to calm things, plus a little incentive here and there to nudge the two nations in the right direction. Overall, she was hopeful for the negotiations.

Meanwhile at the gates, a group of six individuals were currently entering through the main gates. Seeing this group in particular, Izumo and Kotetsu perked up.

"Stop there." Kotetsu called out as he grabbed a clipboard and motioned them over. "Name and business?"

"Konan of Amegakure." Konan answered. "Here at Gaara-dono's request to be an impartial mediator to the Kage's Summit."

"And these other five?" Izumo gestured to the five people behind her who were dressed in black hooded cloaks and wore rebreathers which covered their faces, goggles which covered their eyes and the hoods of their cloaks were drawn up.

"My ANBU escort." She answered smoothly. "I assume all's in order?"

"Indeed." Kotetsu nodded with a smile. "Welcome to Konoha, Konan-sama."

"It wasn't that long ago that I was helping invade this place." Konan mused as she began walking away, followed by her so called escort. "I wonder how things have changed from the crater Pein-sama and I turned it into…"

"That bitch is the mediator?" Izumo scoffed. "Better to just execute her, be rid of the last vestiges of the Akatsuki here and now."

"Not our job or call." Kotetsu sat down with a huff. "Just leave her alone and she'll be gone by the time the Summit ends."

"If we continue at our current pace, the Summit will begin without us." Konan whispered to her entourage.

"That's what we want." Naruto's voice came over the synthesizer in his rebreather. "Emotions will be high if the mediator isn't there; they'll demand negotiations start without us and we make our entrance just afterwards; let them stew in their anger for a few moments."

"Throw them off balance, then strike." Sai's synthesized voice cut in. "Very good."

"Looks like there's still a bit of ROOT's Specter in there after all." Sakura teased.

' _More than you know.'_ Naruto mentally mused.

It took them all of half an hour to slowly make their way through the streets of Konoha, after purposefully taking a few wrong turns and getting lost until they finally arrived at the Hokage's Mansion where they were ushered in by the gate guards.

"Iwagakure was thoroughly fucked in the ass by you twats!" They could hear Kurotsuchi raging at the top of her voice. "You're not fucking us anymore; I'm demanding concessions be made!"

"Iwagakure was indeed given the least amount of dispensation." Gaara's voice broke through the walls. "By _your_ suggestion, Hokage-dono."

"Please, wait while I announce your arrival, Konan-sama." One of Shikamaru's attendants stopped them as she opened the door and walked in.

"Now." Naruto spoke as he threw off the cloak covering his new attire and removed the rebreather and goggles, an action which Sai, Sakura and their two ROOT agents mirrored.

"They've been expecting you for quite a…" The attendant trailed off as she laid eyes upon the blonde in front of her, immediately recognizing him. "N-Naruto…?"

"Good to see you again, Moegi." Naruto smiled at the girl before taking lead of his group and marching into the room.

Eyes widened, jaws were on the floor and all prior arguments had thoroughly ceased as Naruto confidently strode into the room, pausing only to survey it.

"Well…" He spoke, smirk spreading across his face. "Looks like I wasn't expected."

"N-Naruto…?" Gaara was the first to speak. "Naruto… is that really you?"

"It's me, Gaara." He nodded. "Need me to headbutt you again, knock you out of your stupor?"

"I'll be damned…" Ay crossed his arms over his chest. "Looks like you were wrong to change his status, Hokage-dono."

"Interesting…" Chojuro leaned back in his chair.

Kurotsuchi merely smirked, not at the arrival of Naruto, but at Shikamaru. Seeing this, Naruto turned his attention to the Nara and couldn't help but smirk himself.

"What's wrong, Shika?" He asked. "You look like someone just walked over your grave."

Shikamaru was _pale_. His eyes were wide as saucers and he couldn't even move. His voice had failed him in the face of the one person he hoped to all the Gods above was dead.

"You should see your face." Naruto scoffed. "What, nothing to say? You usurp my title and village, declare me killed in action and then try to erase me from the records only to find me alive and well… and you have _nothing_ to say?"

"ANBU…" Shikamaru finally whispered.

Indeed, his ANBU did flash into the room… but they kneeled instead of attacking. This was when it fully dawned upon Shikamaru that he was thoroughly _fucked_.

"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata found her voice and stepped forward, unbelieving of what her own eyes were seeing.

"You shall not address me." He brushed her off and walked the length of the table to take what was supposed to be Konan's seat. "I'm here for business, not to indulge renewed childhood crushes nor satisfy your undoubtedly adulterous thoughts."

"How long _did_ it take you to get over him, Hinata?" Sakura crossed her arms under her breasts as she took up a spot behind Naruto to his right. "I thought he was your one and only?"

"I-I…" Hinata hesitated.

"Looks like money and power can sway the pants off of even the virtuous of women." Sai joined in as he stood beside Sakura to Naruto's left.

"Enough." Naruto held up a hand to silence the bickering. "Now, seeing as Shikamaru is in _my_ chair, I'll have to lead negotiations from here."

"Oh, my demands have just doubled." Kurotsuchi's smirk never faltered as she sat back down in her chair.

"Indeed." Gaara nodded. "It seems as if fortunes have shifted."

"Naruto, you start us off." Ay offered, totally disregarding the still shell-shocked Shikamaru.

"Naruto is _not_ the Hokage here." Chojuro made a temple with his hands under his chin. "Shikamaru-dono is."

"And as Hokage, I'm ordering his execution!" Shikamaru found his courage and shot to his feet while pointing at Naruto. "All of them will die!"

"Sit _DOWN_!" Naruto's thunderous voice reverberated throughout the room as his right eye sprang to life in the crimson glory of the Sharingan.

"Naruto never had the Sharingan!" Shikamaru pointed out. "That's not him!"

"A souvenir from my fight with Obito." Naruto explained as he too rose from his seat. "And if you don't sit down, I'll show you its power."

"Why don't you just get on with your demands?" Shikamaru shot back. "Now that you're here, you want me to step down as Hokage!"

"A notion that I heartily second!" Kurotsuchi declared.

"I third the notion." Gaara nodded.

"Fourth." Ay threw in his metaphorical hat. "With you in charge, Shikamaru-dono, things have done nothing but stagnate. You have no idea what you're doing."

At about that time, a full contingent of loyal Konoha Jounin and ANBU flooded into the room. Hands shot to weapons, chairs were flung over as people stood and through the crowd marched in one Nara Shikaku.

"That won't happen." Shikaku said as he eyed Naruto critically. "We're taking these six in for questioning and summary execution."

"You'd execute the leader of a foreign village?" Konan questioned as she literally bristled, her Shikigami no Mai (Dance of the Formula Paper) now activated.

"You were harboring known and wanted Missing-nin." Shikaku's attention fell upon her. "And you aided said fugitives in infiltrating our village. You'll be killed along with your faux Hokage."

"You even breathe wrong at any one of us…" Naruto's form began to glow red. "And I'll release the beast."

"And know that my armies will stand ready to march upon this village." Gaara added calmly as sand began to seep through the cracks in the floor.

"Mine as well." Kurotsuchi agreed as she grasped the hilt of the ninjato upon her back.

"Looks like we have standoff on our hands." Naruto eyed Shikamaru. "How about we settle this the old fashioned way." He then pointed his right index finger at the younger Nara. "I challenge you to a duel to the death for the position of Hokage."

Shikamaru was now between a rock and a hard place. Either he declined and risked full-scale war, or he accepted and put his own life on the line, and against Naruto, he knew that he stood no chance. It was either him, or the thousands that would die in a war that would completely shatter the peace that had been achieved. To him, there was only one choice…

"I accept." Shikamaru said after taking in a calming breath. "I may be a lousy Hokage, but I won't doom this world to another cycle of war."

"At least you're facing your death with some dignity." Naruto nodded in respect. "Let's see if you've improved at all in my absence."

"Nobody has to die!" Hinata screamed as she stepped in. "Shika-kun, just step down!"

"I can't do that." Shikamaru shook his head. "I was elected his replacement, and I'll fight for the confidence that this village had in me, even if I know they'll turn on me once the truth gets out."

"Naruto-kun!" She instead rounded upon her former love. "Come to your senses! This isn't like you!"

"Make peace with the notion of your husband dying, Hinata." Her cries fell upon deaf ears as Naruto glared daggers at Shikamaru. "Even he knows that he can't best me."

"The duel shall commence today, and we all shall attend." Gaara stood from his seat. "Agreed?"

"Agreed." Chojuro gave his consent as he stood as well.

"I believe in you, son." Shikaku placed a hand on his son's shoulder, understanding why he made the decision that he did.

"It was either this, or more war." Shikamaru sighed. "I'll not doom this village to that fate. Not again."

"Looks like things are going according to plan." Sai said.

"Only a matter of time until I have my village back." Naruto nodded. "All I have to do is win."

' _I just hope things are going as swimmingly back in Remnant…'_ He mentally added, a bad feeling suddenly enveloping him.

 **(Remnant: Vale HQ: Same time)**

"This isn't good…" Roman gulped as a black ooze began to fill floor the meeting room.

Out of the black ooze came first a set of clawed paws, then glowing red eyes and a loud snarl as a whole pack of Beowolves jumped out and secured the room, barking and growling as one got right up into Roman's face and stared at him.

"Definitely not good." Roman managed a nervous chuckle as he took out his Scroll.

"Yeah?" Frost's voice sounded over the line.

"We got a problem here." Roman voiced as calmly as he could.

"What kind of problem?"

"A Grimm infestation." He peered into the soulless red orbs of the Beowolf in front of him.

"… Did they come out of some black ooze bullshit?" Frost suddenly became serious.

"Yep." Roman nodded.

"I'll be there as fast as I can. Do NOT attack the Grimm and do NOT sass her!"

"Her?"

As soon as Roman voiced that question, another figure rose out of the goo, this one belonging to a woman who was paler than the whitest snow, had glowing red eyes with black sclera.

"Holy fuck…" Roman dropped his Scroll out of shock.

"I'm here to retake control." The woman spoke calmly.

"A-And… who the fuck are you?" He took a nervous step backwards.

"Call me Salem." The now identified Salem said. "Now, I'm here to retake control. Bring me to Naruto."

"H-He's not here now…" He gulped.

"All the better…" The smile she gave him sent shivers throughout his entire body.

Well, they were fucked. Roman was sure that without Naruto there to deal with whatever this _thing_ was, they were fucked.

He was _not_ paid enough for this.

 **AN: And done! So, what did you guys think of this one? Good? Bad? For those complaining about Sakura and her involvement, don't worry, I may or may not have something planned, depending on whether or not I deviate from my notes as they stand right now.**

 **Though while I'm on the subject, I know some of you have expressed the notion of keeping Sakura in and having her be the final girl. That's gotten me thinking, and I'm considering it. If enough of you want it, then she'll take the spot. Otherwise, it's still between Weiss and Raven… maybe even Konan, as a few of you have made cases for her, as well as Yang, surprisingly. In summation, the girls we have to choose from are Sakura, Konan, Weiss, Yang and Raven, so throw in your hat for one of these four girls and give me some good reasons! Though it I were to go with my gut right now, I'd pick either Weiss or Yang, do with that what you will.**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Sudden bouts of inspiration are the best! Here I am once again ladies and gents with the next chapter, finally! Life's a bit hectic at the moment and my writer's block came back with a vengeance, so sorry for the slow updates, but I also come with good news! Snowflakes will be returning shortly, as that is my next planned update, so rejoice and keep an eye out for it! Now, without further ado, let's get it on!**

 **Chapter 12: Dreams and Consequences**

Word had spread like wildfire throughout Konoha that their beloved Rokudaime (Sixth) Hokage was indeed alive and that he had returned to take back his title from the Usurper Nara Shikamaru. As Naruto and the aforementioned Nara stared each other down, the Chuunin Finals Arena which surrounded them was alit with the fires of burning passion; everyone and their brother had shown up after the duel was announced, most to support their returning hero while others sought to stand by the Usurper to the end. Gaara, Chojuro, Ay and Kurotsuchi sat within the Kage's box, along with Sakura, Sai, Konan and Hinata.

"We're with you, Rokudaime-sama!" Screamed one villager.

"Naruto-sama, we believe in you!" Blurted yet another.

"Destroy the Usurper, Rokudaime-sama!" A female Jounin got in on the action.

With most of the crowd on his side, Naruto couldn't help but let out a hearty chuckle. "They're with me, Shika." He smirked victoriously. "They're with me and we both know you can't win this."

"If I can kill an immortal psychopath, I think I can manage against a Jinchuuriki as well." Shikamaru dropped his usual cool façade and glared hatefully into the mocking mismatched blue and black eyes before him. "All I need is a solid strategy."

"What strategy would work in the face of sheer power incarnate?" Naruto retorted as he folded his arms over his chest. "Kurama and I are the ultimate tag-team and we're about to show you just how utterly _outclassed_ you are right now."

"So, you're going to use the beast after all, huh?" Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "Am I worthy to behold your magnificence in full display?" He spat sarcastically.

"Is an ant worthy to tread with the gods?" Naruto dropped his smirk and returned the glare with heat. "No, I won't make this easy for you, Usurper. I'm going to take my time with this, humble you in front of those that still dare support you…"

In the literal blink of an eye, Shikamaru felt his sixth sense screaming at him, yet wasn't fast enough to dodge the backhand Naruto had delivered from behind, which sent him careening to his left and skidding to a halt face first into the dirt."

"… And then make you beg for a death I may or may not grant you." The blonde finished as he lowered himself back into a Taijutsu stance.

Slowly, Shikamaru peeled himself out of the ground and stumbled to his feet and as he tried to shake the cobwebs out of his head, he was doubled over gasping for air when Naruto flashed in front of him again and drove his fist straight into his gut and followed it up with a left hook to the Nara's jaw, then a rising right knee that lifted his opponent a few inches off the ground and finished with a thunderous double axe-handle to the back of Shukamaru's head, sprawling him out on the ground once again.

Throughout this beat down, Hinata's hands were covering her mouth and she had her eyes clenched shut. The former love of her life fighting against her husband was too much to bear for her and she didn't want to bear witness to it, knowing full well that Shikamaru stood no chance. As she cracked her eyes open, she was just in time to see her husband weakly try to rise from his prone position, only for Naruto to leap high into the air and swiftly return to earth with a devastating knee drop straight to Shikamaru's spine.

As he screamed out in agony, Naruto bent down and hefted his 'opponent' by the back of his Jounin flak jacket up and into a throw, whereupon the bloodied Nara ended up buried back first into the concrete walls of the arena. Instead of pressing for more Taijutsu attacks, Naruto instead exhaled the breath he was holding and ran through a sequence of handseals, ending with the Horse seal.

"Raiton: Gian!" He spoke, then immediately opened his mouth, whereupon a blue spear made of lightning shot out and pierced Shikamaru through his left shoulder, effectively pinning him within the crater in the wall.

"Please!" Hinata finally begged. "Naruto-kun, stop this!"

"Oh, I'm just getting started…" Naruto whispered mainly to himself as a smirk spread across his face, his hands already flying through the seals necessary for another Ninjutsu.

 **(Remnant: Same time)**

The warehouse HQ was nothing short of a warzone. As soon as Frost had arrived, he had found himself emptying clip after clip into the waves of Grimm that Salem had sent after him and the rest of the Revolutionary forces within the complex. What forces were on site were holding the line with him; White Fang radicals, disillusioned Atlesian Army deserters, well-intentioned mercenaries and the like, along with Roman, Neo and Raven who were acting as officers to help lead the ragtag defense force.

Initially, the siege went in their favor, but Salem had the numbers advantage so they were slowly being pushed back into the underground sections of the complex. Frost knew that things were about to get a whole lot worse; as soon as Salem and her Grimm had taken the surface, she ordered a good chunk of her pets to run wild within the streets of Vale City, which would almost certainly bring a Huntsman response force from Beacon.

' _That was her plan all along.'_ He mentally figured as he shot a charging Ursa in the head, halting its charge early. _'Expose us here, dismantle us while Naruto's gone so that when he returns, he'll find the Revolution in ashes… and most of us executed, more likely than not.'_

"At this rate, we're fucked!" Roman called out over the rifle fire as he popped out from his chosen cover of an open doorway and fired two fireballs out of Melodic Cudgel, incinerating two Creepers. "We're being pushed further and further into the depths of this facility; sooner or later we're gonna run out of room!"

"Make the call, Frost!" Raven shouted as she appeared out of one of her portals, decapitating a Beowolf as she did so. "We have an ace up our sleeve; call it in!"

"We're saving _that_ for the actual war!" Frost yelled back as he reloaded both Aurora and Blizzard. "It's too big of a surprise to unveil now; that asshole Ozpin would definitely know something's up if we brought it in!"

"As if he doesn't already?!" She fired back after bisecting an Ursa Major.

"What about Little Red and Kitty Cat?!" Roman suggested as he scorched another Grimm. "Call me crazy, but I say we let them loose and give them their weapons back!"

"Willingly free our Number Two target and Adam's prospective replacement as a Head of Cerberus?!" Despite the danger, Raven turned on a heel and glared at the gentleman thief. "Torchwick, are you actually an idiot?!"

"We sorta need all hands on deck here in case you haven't noticed!" Roman popped out of his cover once again to return the glare.

"Making an executive decision here!" Frost piped up as he sprang from his cover, firing a dual barrage from his pistols to cover himself as he ran a bit further down the hall.

Upon reaching the first of his two destinations, he holstered Blizzard and placed his now free hand upon the surface of the door, which quickly began to freeze over, whereupon he took a step back and heel kicked the door, shattering it.

"F-Frost?!" Ruby blurted out. "What's happening here?!"

"Grimm invasion, Red!" He quickly explained. "No time to talk!"

He very quickly made his way around his redhead girlfriend whereupon he repeated what he did to the door, this time with her handcuffs. As soon as she was free of her bonds, Ruby shot to her feet and followed her boyfriend back out into the halls.

"Now the hall, first door on your right!" Frost ordered. "That's the prisoner armory; Crescent Rose is inside, here's the key! HURRY!"

Once she had the key, the redheaded Rose shot into overtime, her Semblance making the trip very short indeed and as Ruby worked on opening the armory, Frost froze and shattered the second door and stepped inside to find Blake still huddled into her corner.

"Get up, Blake! The Grimm are here; all hands on deck!" He spoke as he froze and shattered her handcuffs as well.

"You all deserve this." She glared up hatefully at the person she used to consider a friend. "The Revolution deserves to be buried like this!"

"Innocent people are dying as we speak, Blake!" His icy blue eyes began to glow as he hauled her to her feet and shoved her out the door. "Like it or not, we're on the same side for right now; if you wanna continue your little edgy pity party, I'll happily throw you into another cell! But that's _after_ we save Vale!"

"You won't get the chance." She literally spat at his feet. "As soon as I can, I'm going to Ozpin with all of what I know. We're temporary allies for now, but afterwards…" Her yellow eyes hardened with determination and fury. "Afterwards, fuck you, fuck Naruto, fuck Specter and fuck this whole organization!"

"Fair enough, Miss Monologue, now get your goddamn weapon and HELP!"

With no more words to be said, Frost rushed back to the forefront of the fighting, both Blizzard and Aurora barking out bullet after bullet in a hailstorm of fury, soon joined in by Ruby who rushed into the fray in a spray of rose petals. Glancing down at her feet, Blake noticed that Ruby had delivered Gambol Shroud as she passed and with a slight scowl, she picked her weapon up, not at all happy about having to aid her kidnappers… yet she had to remember that the Kingdom of Vale was quite possibly on the line. With those many lives at stake, she'd put aside her feelings for the moment to fight.

And fight she did.

 **(Konohagakure: Same time)**

Ignoring the pain shooting through his entire body, Shikamaru tried desperately to defend himself from the ongoing Taijutsu flurry that he found himself in after surviving the Ninjutsu onslaught. As his legs were swept out from under him, Shikamaru glanced up just in time to see Naruto, still smirking, with a Rasengan held in his right hand, and as he impacted the ground back first, he felt the blue orb dig and drill itself into his chest. His flak jacket was rent asunder, the clothing and light armor underneath were obliterated and blood began spraying everywhere as the blonde's signature attack hit home and as he laid there bleeding out and breathless in the aftermath, he had the sense enough to see his opponent kneel down.

"My mercy has run dry, it seems." Naruto spoke evenly as his right eye sprang to life with the crimson glory of the Sharingan. "You've suffered through my Taijutsu and Ninjutsu… now, taste my Genjutsu."

"Tsu… kuyomi…?" Shikamaru coughed up a glob of blood.

"If only." Naruto scoffed. "This eye of mine does not hold Tsukuyomi, only Amaterasu."

"T-Then…" Another blood-filled cough. "Let me go out… i-in a blaze…"

"… Your final request will be honored, old friend." Naruto nodded as his right eye shifted into its Mangekyou form.

"NO!" Hinata screamed out, now being held back by a few tendrils of sand from Gaara's gourd. "STOP THIS, PLEASE!"

As Naruto built up the Chakra in his right eye to perform Amaterasu, it began bleeding as the buildup was putting undue stress upon it. Yet just as he was about to release Amaterasu upon his old friend, a flash of a static-filled image bolted through his head once, twice and then a third time.

' _What the hell is this?!'_ He wondered to himself as the image began to clear up.

He was seeing… himself? Yes, he was seeing himself, lying upon the ground face up and. His eyes were open and… was that the _Rinnegan_ he was seeing in his own eye sockets?!

' _Kurama, what am I seeing?!'_ He asked his partner.

" **This…"** Kurama seemed to be shaking with _fear_. **"Kit, w-we're… AAAARGH!"**

"AHHHHHHH!" Naruto bellowed out along with his partner, an intense and very sharp pain filling his entire being, yet the picture in his mind remained.

He could see what was happening. He could see the one thing happening to him that he _didn't_ want to ever see… Kurama was being extracted.

As this pain filled every part of his essence, his surroundings began to twist and distort, beginning with Shikamaru, then the ground, the sky, the arena as a whole, and as it all twisted, it began to shatter. Everything around him was now shattering into a million tiny pieces and he could do nothing to stop it. Desperately, he glanced up at the Kage's box to find Sakura screaming out to him, tears rolling down her cheeks, and as she reached out to him… it all shattered and everything went quiet.

" **The Uzumaki longevity never ceases to surprise me."** He could hear a raspy voice through his echoing hearing. **"Kurama's gone, yet he's still around…"**

His vision was now starting to return, albeit slowly, and he was finally able to make out the vague shape of the moon… which had a Rinne-Sharingan reflecting off of its red surface. He instantly knew what this was, het he could barely move; his entire body felt heavy, his vision was slowly returning and his hearing was now relatively normal again… but he still felt heavy.

"Infinite… Tsukuyomi…" He whispered, then let out a loud cough.

" **Indeed."** The now _painfully_ familiar raspy voice spoke once again. **"Have a nice vacation wherever it is you went, brat?"**

His vision then sharpened and the visage of a still Zetsu-possessed Obito appeared before him, a wide grin literally splitting its face in half while Obito's corpse followed its commands.

"How… out of… Genjutsu…?" Naruto struggled to ask, as he could barely form a coherent sentence thanks to the extraction process.

" **The pain you experienced from having the Kyuubi extracted was enough to break you out of the Infinite Tsukuyomi."** Zetsu explained. **"The fact that you just didn't return to your dream is because I don't want you to return… I want you to die here, in this bleak reality."**

"Can't… die… yet…" He was now struggling to keep his eyes open.

" **You think I'm giving you a choice?"** Zetsu retorted as he willed Obito to lift his left hand while focusing a bit of Wind Release Chakra into it. Swiftly, the puppet corpse swung his hand down and across Naruto's left arm, cutting it off just above the elbow.

He wanted to scream, _Gods_ he wanted to scream, but he was just too drained to even manage that, only managing to ball up his right hand into a fist and to grit his teeth through the pain that he was quickly becoming numb to.

" **You took our right eye…"** Zetsu chuckled darkly as the Rinnegan in Obito's left eye began to glow ominously. **"Eye for an eye…"**

With Wind Chakra still surrounding Obito's left hand, Zetsu willed the corpse to jab its left index finger into Naruto's left eye socket, which was immediately destroyed in a spatter of blood.

He was now bleeding profusely from both of his wounds, and by his rough estimation, he wouldn't last long yet. He couldn't properly focus Chakra, so using his own Sharingan was a no-go, he still couldn't move and everything was numb.

' _This is the end, then…'_ He closed his one good eye and took in a deep breath. _'Specter finally meets his end and the Revolution dies with him…'_

He'd be leaving his friends and comrades to die, he'd be leaving Cinder alone and their child fatherless, his Empire shattered before it could truly begin and the ultimate victory in the hands of Ozpin. And…

"B-Bl…" He began muttering as he opened his eye again.

" **Hmm…?"** Zetsu turned his attention back to the blonde before him.

"Bl-Blake…"

" **Someone you met during your vacation, brat?"** Zetsu laughed. **"You're not seeing them ever again!"**

"M-Make… deal…"

" **And what could you** _ **possibly**_ **offer me that I would want?"** The black mass growled.

"An… entire…" Naruto found the last ounce of his strength to lift his head and smirk at the mass. "Entire dimension… ripe for the taking."

" **An entirely… new dimension?"** If it were possible, Zetsu looked shocked. **I had just assumed you floated around in the space between dimensions and just began spouting hysterical nonsense about this 'Blake' person… yet you** _ **actually**_ **went to a new world?"**

"New world… new possibilities…" Naruto nodded and laid his head back down upon the ground, smirk still in place, so he'd die with a smile just in case. "Spare me… I'll take you…"

" **What would I gain, boy?!"** Zetsu was beginning to panic. **"Tell me!"**

"New powers… new technology… new life…" A rather violent cough rocked his body as he began shivering and turning pale. "Empire…"

New powers? New tech? A new life? An _empire_?! New powers meant more knowledge, new tech meant new possibilities, a new life meant an escape from the dreadfully dull and desolate world the Elemental Nations had become after the rise of the Infinite Tsukuyomi… and an empire full of people to do with as he pleased…

Slowly, Zetsu slithered his way off of Obito's corpse, which dropped lifelessly to the ground with his departure. As he slid across the ground towards the very quickly expiring Naruto, the irresistible allure of a new adventure, a new world to corrupt filled Zetsu's black soul. Across Naruto's chest he slithered, absently noting how shallow the boy's breathing was as he did so, and finally settled in place where his left arm used to be and with one final thought of grandeur… attached himself.

A surge of life force and energy coursed through Naruto's system as he went wide eyed. His breathing rhythm was normal again, the numbness which filled him was gone and the heaviness along with it. The bleeding of his left arm was stifled and whatever Zetsu was doing to him was also slowing the bleeding of his left eye socket. As he began breathing deeply once again, he pushed himself slowly off of the ground and stood to his full height on still slightly wobbly legs while testing his motor functions. He balled his right hand into a fist a couple times, then tried it with his left… to find that it in particular was functioning normally?

" **I'm acting as your new left arm, brat."** Zetsu spoke as Naruto lifted his new appendage up to find that it was now a black mass which held a single yellow eye upon the back of his hand. **"I can't replace your eye, however; so unless you're gonna pluck the Rinnegan from Obito's corpse…"**

"Gimme a minute here…" Naruto grumbled as he checked himself over, finding that everything, other than his arm and eye, was still in place and that he was dressed in the clothes he wore back to the Nations… and not what he was wearing in his Tsukuyomi dream. "So… it really _was_ a dream…"

" **Reacquaint yourself with reality, brat."** Zetsu pushed. **"I want to see this new world of yours."**

"First things first…" Naruto bent down and regarded Obito's corpse before plucking out his left eye and inserting it into his own empty eye socket, where another surge of power shot through his system, followed by the familiar feeling of his eye changing forms from the Rinnegan to Eternal Mangekyou to its base form until it deactivated itself.

" **An heir worthy of the power of Uchiha Madara…"** Zetsu chuckled darkly. **"Here's hoping this thing lasts, brat, because I find you to be quite amusing… still a big nuisance, however."**

"A give and take relationship, then?" Naruto suggested as he blinked a few times to readjust his vision. "You keep yourself attached at least until I can live without you attached to me and in return I tour you around Remnant."

" **Remnant?"** The blob asked.

"The name of the world we're going to." Naruto clarified. "Right after you tell me where the secrets to Orochimaru's perfected Edo Tensei are."

" **Amusing, just like I said."** Zetsu chuckled. **"I'll guide you. Anything else you need while we're here, brat?"**

"The location of Sai's pod." Naruto explained as he glanced around at the millions of pods which held the victims of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. "And hopefully Konan's?"

" **Both are still alive. Konan survived by chance and miracle alone, only to be caught in the Infinite Tsukuyomi just as she was about to announce to the world that she was going to throw Amegakure's hat into the war effort against me."**

"Direct me." Naruto nodded.

 **(Remnant: Same time)**

"This is bad…" Frost grunted as he ignored the blood pouring from a scratch on his side as he leveled Blizzard and Aurora at the approaching form of Salem.

"Keep your cool, everyone." Raven advised the group as she readied her odachi.

"Cinder in next room." Neo glared at the monster woman in front of them. "Carrying Naru's baby. Must keep safe."

"She's _what?!"_ Blake demanded as she rounded upon the girl.

"Head in the game, Kitty Cat!" Roman chastised his temporary ally. "Kill your boyfriend later if you want!"

"What… what is she…?" Ruby's grip on Crescent Rose was shaky and her silver eyes were wide with fear.

"A monster." Frost left it at that as he holstered his twin pistols and began to march forward until he and Salem were face to face.

"Last stand then, Frost?" Salem taunted with a victorious smirk.

"You may kill us all here, but Vale and Beacon have mobilized on the surface." Frost blue eyes were now fiercely glowing. "Not only will you ultimately be pushed back here, you haven't killed or captured the one person that really matters." The defiant smirk that was on display now threatened to outdo even Salem's.

"Where is he?" Salem's smirk dropped as she growled at the Faunus in front of her.

"Go get fucked, bitch." He spat in her face. "I'm not telling you jack shit. When Naruto comes back and sees what you've done to us, to the woman in the next room who's carrying his kid…" At this point, he actually began laughing. "Your pets won't save you, your inner council of jerk offs will burn and there won't be anywhere on this blighted planet that you could run to that would save you from the _hell_ he'd deliver upon you."

As soon as Frost finished his monologue, Salem's right hand shot forward in an attempt to impale the man, only for his visage to shatter, replaced by a snarling and charging Neo who screamed out as she impaled Salem instead upon the sword hidden in her parasol.

"Neo!" Frost screamed out. "Neo, NO!"

Blood leaked out of the corners of her mouth as she looked down to find her opponent's left arm impaling her through completely. Shaky mismatched pink and brown eyes glanced up to find Salem glowering at her as she raised her right hand once again and gently flicked her upon the forehead, sending her careening backwards with a hole tore into her abdomen and right into the waiting arms of Frost.

"BITCH!" Roman exclaimed with righteous fury as he emptied every charge Melodic Cudgel had at the monster before him to no avail.

With a war cry that was akin to an actual scream of terror, Ruby joined in on the firing squad, followed by Frost with one of his guns held in hand while the other was fruitlessly putting pressure on the wound Neo had sustained.

With every wound sustained stitching themselves shut as she walked, Salem licked her lips as a multitude of corrupted tendrils rose into view behind her.

"I don't care that Naruto's not here." She chuckled. "I _want_ him to find your mangled corpses, I _want_ him to try and hunt me… I'll just as easily kill him as I have all of you."

Just before the final blows could be struck, a _heavy_ presence appeared seemingly out of nowhere which put the Grimm at Salem's back on alert and halted her actions wholesale. She didn't know what was happening upstairs, but Salem could sense her Grimm dropping like flies and she could feel the heavy presence making its way down through the entire complex towards her.

"He's here…" Frost let out a sigh of relief as he dropped his pistol and turned his attention back to the critically wounded girl in his arms. "He's here, Neo, everything's fine now."

"N-Naru…" Neo coughed up a large glob of blood onto Frost's clothes. "He'll… save us…"

"You're fucked now, witch!" Raven glared holes into Salem's head. "Better pray to whatever Gods you believe in!"

" **SALEM!"** Naruto's wrath-filled voice echoed throughout the complex.

"N-No…" A chill went down Salem's spine as she slowly turned just in time to see an explosion of disintegrating body parts blast out from the hall which led to the stairwell. "NO!"

With all the fury of the Gods, Naruto and two other figures rushed out of the stairwell and began cutting a swathe through the sea of Grimm that separated them from their target.

"FROST!" Naruto called out to his number two. "Get everyone down, NOW!"

Seeing that his left eye was morphing into something else, which that alone sent a jolt of power through the air, Frost wisely ducked and covered Neo with his own body.

"GET THE FUCK DOWN, NOW!" He bellowed out and wisely, everyone hit the deck just in time for Naruto to raise his right hand, palm facing Salem and her Grimm. For that moment, everything went deathly quiet for a split second before the wrath of heaven was unleashed.

"SHINRA TENSEI (Heavenly Subjugation of the Omnipresent God)!" Naruto cried out and all at once, a repulsive force erupted out from the palm of his hand and obliterated every single Grimm in its path until it hit Salem with its full force, throwing her over the ducking forms of those she was about to kill and back first into the reinforced door that was his and Cinder's room.

"Bansho Ten'in (Heavenly Attraction of all Creation)!" Naruto again called out, this time drawing Salem across the entire length of the hallway into his waiting grasp, as he grabbed her by her throat and began choking her.

"W-What…" She coughed. "What power is this?!"

"The power of a true god." Naruto's Rinnegan and Mangekyou Sharingan both began to glow dangerously. "A power you will _never_ have." He then pulled her closer so they were eye to eye. "I'm going to make an example out of you, Salem… but not here, oh no. What I have planned for you will be set on a grander stage than this… so, disappear."

And with that, he sucked her into his Kamui's pocket dimension where he knew she'd not be able to escape nor trouble him anymore.

"What should we do now, Naruto?" The female of the duo asked.

"We stand by for now." Naruto took in a deep breath as he deactivated his Rinnegan and Sharingan combo. "I can still salvage this mess."

"Naruto!" Frost called out to him. "It's Neo! She's hurt pretty bad!"

"Neo?!" He finally spied her and in a literal flash was by her side. "It's alright Neo, I'm here now!"

"Naru…" Again, Neo coughed up an amount of blood which found its way onto his duster as she stared up into his now dual coal black orbs. "N-No ocean…" She pouted as she let out a breath. "L-Loved the… ocean…"

"NEO!" As she went limp in his arms, he was desperately racking his brain for any kind of Medical Ninjutsu until he remembered that Zetsu was now a part of him. "Zetsu, Medical Ninjutsu, now!"

" **My powers are yours now, brat."** Zetsu spoke up. **"If you** _ **really**_ **want a Medical Ninjutsu, sift through your mental library and use it!"**

"Hold on, Neo!" His right hand began glowing with the telltale green of a Medical Jutsu as he pressed it against the gaping wound in her abdomen. "Hold on, dammit! Hold on!"

As everyone looked on in awe at what was going on, particularly Ruby and Blake, it was the latter cat Faunus who dropped her weapon with a metallic clang against the reinforced concrete floor as she watched the love of her life – the same man who also had a pregnant woman in the next room – panic over this third girl as if he were panicking over _her_. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to hate him for everything he'd done and was about to… and hate him she would do.

As he worked tirelessly to try and at least stabilize Neo, Blake brushed past everyone as she slowly made her way for the stairwell.

"Blake, where are you going?" Frost called out to her.

"To turn you all into Ozpin." She monotonously intoned.

"Blake, don't." Naruto glanced over his shoulder at his former love. "Please, at least let me explain everything."

"That's not working on me a second time." She also glanced over her shoulder and met his black eyes with her own fiery yellow. "Go fuck yourself, you son of a bitch."

"I can't let you leave here, Blake…" He warned with a shaky voice.

"Then shoot me." She scoffed as she began walking away again. "We both know you can't."

In one swift movement, he swiped up one of Frost's pistols, Blizzard, from the ground and took aim at Blake's retreating form. This was the second time he found himself in this exact position, him aiming a gun at her with her about to leave. The first time he hesitated, and even now his left hand began shaking while his right was still healing Neo. It was the moment of truth for him, do or die. Could he pull the trigger this second time around?

He did.

The bark of Blizzard firing one of its .45 caliber rounds filled the hallway, which went dead silent, save for the sound of the shell bouncing off of the ground as it landed. He pulled the trigger…

… now to live with the consequences.

 **AN: CLIFFHANGER OF DOOM! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 ***ahem***

 **Evil, I know, but it's for the sake of suspense! What do you guys think? Did he actually shoot her, did he miss on purpose? You're gonna have to find out in future updates!**

 **Now, pairings. With the revelation that Naruto was indeed stuck in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Sakura's out of the picture as she is indeed dead as a doornail. However, Weiss, Raven, Yang and Konan are still contenders, with the addition of Emerald who is taking Sakura's spot in the lineup of contenders. As always, good, solid opinions are welcomed for this lineup or for a girl that I may have overlooked. Keep 'em coming, people!**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: It's baaaaaack! Here I am again, kiddies, with another update! Things are progressing rather smoothly now that I've worked through my writers' block, I gotta say, and it feels good to be back in the pilot's seat! I bring before you today what is probably my longest chapter for this particular story, so I'll cut my ramblings short so you can enjoy! Fair warning though, a major character dies in this one, so prepare yourselves!**

 **Chapter 13: Reconciliation and the Battle for Vale**

He had finally pulled the trigger where he had previously been too weak to do so. He had pulled the trigger on her and he had to now live with his decision… yet it was a calculated shot. He had pulled the trigger and as the sound of the casing bouncing off of the concrete floor echoed throughout the now silent bunker hallway, Blake turned on a heel with eyes wide as saucers after she heard and felt the bullet whiz past her left ear. She had turned, expecting to meet her ex-boyfriend's eyes, and meet them she did, in all of their glowing crimson glory. Her last waking memory before blacking out completely was Naruto's Sharingan as his new left eye shifted and morphed into its Eternal Mangekyou form… as well as the single tear that fell from that very same left eye.

"I'm sorry, Blake." He whispered an apology as a clone had quickly puffed into existence to catch her as she collapsed. "But we're at a critical juncture now. Our talk will have to come later."

"Gods…" Frost let out a held breath as he took his pistol from his fellow Faunus. "I thought you really were gonna shoot her."

"I…" Naruto hesitated ever so slightly as his attention returned to the wounded Neo in his arms, as he was still healing her. "I can't think about it now. After I heal Neo, the Grimm need to be pushed out of Vale fully."

"Then it's time for the Revolution to show our teeth." Raven nodded as she sheathed her odachi.

"About damn time if you ask me." Roman huffed after reloading Melodic Cudgel. "I'll go and rally whatever people who are still alive around here and have them spread the word."

"You." Naruto turned his attention back to his clone momentarily. "Take Blake in there." He gestured to the door behind them with his head. "And guard both her and Cinder."

"Yes, Boss." His clone nodded and shuffled his way past the group, Blake still held in its arms.

"W-What about me…?" Ruby hesitantly spoke up, deciding to question everything that she had just seen later.

"Now… you need to choose, Red." Frost sighed as he pushed two fresh clips into Blizzard and Aurora. "The Revolution is about to make a big move here in Vale to help push back the Grimm invasion. You can either help Beacon and your fellow Hunters as an ordinary student or walk out on us..."

"… Or I can join the Revolution and help push back the Grimm anyway, but at the cost of signing up for a rebellion." She finished with a slow nod.

"Clone, wait." Naruto called after his clone just as the green glow surrounding his right hand ceased. "Neo's stable now, though she's not in fighting shape."

The clone, who had just gotten the door open, merely nodded and trailed after his creator, who had scooped the unconscious Neo into his arms and walked into the room, where he found Cinder pacing around with an annoyed expression.

"What the _hell_ is going on out there?" She sharply questioned after the door had opened. "Gunfire, explosions and an impact that damn near took the door down?! What's…" The words died as she laid eyes on Neo, who was unconscious and bloody, but still looked to be alive.

"Salem came for us." Naruto simply said with a growl as he laid her upon the bed gently. "Almost did Neo in; I arrived just in time."

"And… Blake?" Cinder raised an eyebrow at the clone carrying the girl in question.

"She helped fend off the Grimm." Again he explained. "And she was going to turn us into Ozpin, but I put a stop to that." He let out a weary sigh. "She deserves an explanation; and explanation I can't give right now because of this Grimm horde that followed Salem."

"The Revolution needs Specter." The half-Maiden nodded in understanding as she stepped over to him. "Go and massacre these monsters." With a confident smirk she kissed her love.

Naruto, despite himself, let the kiss linger for a few moments before he voluntarily ended it and turned on a heel to march out of the room. "Blake's gonna wake up soon. See if you can help convince her, no?"

"You let me worry about her." The smirk on Cinder's face remained. "You worry about progressing our plans, love."

"Play nice." He finally returned the smirk as he and his clone filed out of the room and locked the door behind them.

"Orders, Naruto?" Raven trailed behind him to his right while Frost took his left.

"The Revolution needs its officers." He stated with a smirk. "To the armory. Retrieve your uniforms and your upgrades." Their march ended in front of Ruby.

"I… still haven't decided." Ruby faltered under their gaze.

"Then allow me to make the decision more clear-cut." Naruto, in response, rolled up his right sleeve and formed the half-Ram seal with his new Zetsu-fied left hand.

In a puff of smoke before Ruby's eyes, gone was his normal attire, replaced by clothing she recognized all too well and held in his right hand a mask that she wished she never had to see again.

His previous smirk now growing at the shocked look on the young Rose's face, Naruto's dual crimson eyes bored into her silver, as if he were drinking in her expression as he slowly slipped on his mask and drew up his hood before he spoke.

"Specter invites you to join his Revolution, Miss Rose." The unnatural, deep synthesized voice of Specter played through the synthesizer, sending a jolt of fear through Ruby and a shiver of desire through Raven's spine.

Naruto then turned his attention to his two newest recruits. "Sai, Konan." They both snapped to attention at their names being called. "Retrieve a pair of spare uniforms for yourselves as well. You two will be joining me personally, as will you Raven."

"Of course." Raven seemed to purr in delight.

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Sai vocally affirmed the orders he was given.

"Hai…" Konan, however, took a knee and bowed her head. "Pain-sama."

"It's time for Specter to make his appearance…" Finally, Naruto took on his Specter persona fully as he began to disappear into a Kamui portal.

 **(Vale City: Same time)**

Vale was in chaos. Buildings were burning, half-eaten corpses littered the streets and the Grimm were rampaging around while the Huntsmen and Huntresses were trying their best to contain the situation. There was a veritable _horde_ against them and they could only do so much with the limited manpower in the city itself, as most of their forces were on the borders of the Kingdom itself, where the fighting _should_ have been thickest. Emotions were running high, which did nothing to improve the situation; with the added emotional trauma hanging in the air, more Grimm were being drawn to Vale, adding to the horde's already impressive advantage.

The city was in shambles while Beacon itself was virtually untouched, and as Ozpin stared out of the sweeping window of his clock tower office, his grip tightened on his cane; he knew who had caused this and he had a suspicion as to who Salem was revolting against. He hoped he was wrong, but his gut feeling was telling him that he was right. Finally, he let out a sigh, turned from the window and punched in a number into his desks holographic keyboard.

"Glynda, ready a Bullhead." He spoke.

"What are you planning, sir?" Glynda's voice came over the line.

"I'm going down to Vale personally." He answered calmly as he shut the line down and strode out of his office.

' _Specter…'_ His thoughts drifted to the man in question as he stepped into his elevator. _'Is this your next move? Weaken Vale for your invasion? Am I your first target?'_

These questions plagued him even as he later boarded his Bullhead with Glynda, Peter Port, Bartholomew Oobleck and a contingent of elite Huntsmen and Huntresses. As the Bullhead took off, he gripped his cane in a battle ready stance and slowly let out a held breath to calm his nerves.

"We're to clear the city of Grimm and help reinforce those already engaged." He spoke to his team evenly before turning to face Glynda. "Get someone on the line for me."

"Who?" Glynda asked.

"Taiyang Xiao Long and…" Ozpin actually hesitated upon the last name.

"Ozpin, if you have someone else in mind, we're going to need them." Port spoke up. "We need every available Hunter tonight."

"… Call Null-01 as well." If it were possible, the palpably dire mood worsened.

"… Yes, sir." Glynda gravely intoned as she withdrew her Scroll and dialed up her first contact.

Below them, the Grimm continued their feast upon civilian and Hunter alike, for everyone Grimm slain, ten Hunters paid the price and it was only getting worse with the other Grimm from outside the city pouring in through the multiple breaches in the city's defenses. Despite the danger, however, three Hunters were cutting and shooting their way through the horde at a rather alarming pace.

"To the warehouse!" Mercury bellowed as he dropkicked a charging Ursa's head off, then twisted midair so he'd land in a crouch, where he then reared up and high kicked a Beowolf up and through the window of a nearby café.

"Why, exactly?!" Pyrrha questioned as she charged through a pack of Beowolves with her shield, knocking them down so her third comrade could finish them off.

"That's our Vale City HQ in case your forgot!" Emerald casually walked by the five downed Grimm, pulling the triggers on her revolvers as she did so to end their existences. "We need to get there for damage control and official orders; Specter's most likely given them out and is on his way as we speak!"

And as luck would have it, just as they rounded a corner, Roman, a few of his hired muscle and a couple of Revolutionary Hunters almost literally bumped into them.

"Torchwick!" Merc took the lead. "What the hell's going on?!"

"Salem went a bridge too far with Specter and paid the price." Roman began quickly explaining, stopping himself to put a fireball into the mouth of an Alpha Ursa that was charging the three from behind. "Now he's given his orders; the sleeper cells in Vale are going active and suiting up, the officers are being mobilized and he's taking the field personally."

"Then the Revolution is finally flexing its muscle…" Pyrrha summarized with wide eyes. "Visible, uniformed troops on the ground in a unified push against the Grimm, and…" Her wide eyes were then downcast as she realized something else. "And… this is where I come in…"

"Specter wants you out of uniform, fighting right beside us." Roman nodded. "He placed his faith in you; time for you to prove your worth and loyalty to our Revolution!"

"Then our roles are clear." Emerald pushed past Merc and Roman, making for the warehouse. "Come on, we gotta haul ass!"

"And I gotta keep spreading the good word!" Roman began marching off again. "Come on, boys! Double time it!"

"Same goes for us!" Merc rushed forward, with Emerald trailing him close behind.

' _Moment of truth, Pyrrha…'_ The champion took in a calming breath before running after her fellow revolutionaries.

 **(Bunker: Same time)**

Faintly, Blake could make out a voice as she stirred from unconsciousness. It sounded vaguely like a woman, but she couldn't be sure just yet. Her head was still foggy and her eyes still heavy, yet she let out a groan as she pinched the bridge of her nose and forced her eyes open. The first thing she noticed as her vision returned was that she was lying on a rather comfortable couch. The second was that she was still in that damned bunker. And the third was that she wasn't alone; she was sharing the room with the girl who got impaled prior and a second woman who was showing the slightest signs of a baby bump.

"Blake… up?" Neo questioned rather hoarsely.

"She's awake now, Neo." Cinder nodded as she rose from the chair that she had pulled up beside the bed. "You just rest; let me handle the talking."

"Talking…?" Blake repeated, hoarse herself. "About what?"

"Here." Cinder offered the girl a glass of water which the Faunus girl immediately accepted. "And I think you know what we have to talk about."

"You're…" As if a switch had been flipped, Blake's amber eyes shone with realization as she set aside the now empty glass. "You're the one who's pregnant with Naruto's child…"

"My name is Cinder Fall, and yes, I'm carrying his baby." With a gentle smile, she placed a hand on her baby bump and gingerly rubbed it. "So far, it's only me."

"End of war." Neo spoke up. "Naru and I have child then."

"Good for you two." Blake all but spat. "I pity you two; I know what that sick bastard's truly like. He's using you as a means to pass on his legacy; he wants his bloodline to live on and you two were stupid enough to spread your legs for that sociopathic maniac." As if disgusted with herself, Blake shivered and scowled, mostly at herself. "And I was very nearly brainwashed into it as well."

"You're understandably angry…" Cinder began, eerily calm. "If I were in your position, I may be just as angry…" At this point, her eyes began glowing and the Dust inlays of her dress flamed out. "But if you don't curb your tongue and keep things civilized, I _will_ turn you to ashes without a second thought."

"Cinder." Neo called out to her lover. "Blake betrayed. Emotional rollercoaster." Her mismatched eyes flickered from the half-Maiden to the Faunus. "Give her time."

"Time for what?!" Blake snapped. "Time to realize once again that the love of my life used me and my emotions to gain a better cover at Beacon?! That he was cheating on me behind my back with Gods know how many other girls?! That one of them is _pregnant_?!"

"You've said he's a maniac, you've said that he's a sociopath." Cinder began shaking her head. "Do you even realize why he's doing the things he's doing?"

"He believes that he and Specter are changing the world." Blake scoffed. "They're nothing but more of the same. I knew him when he was just starting out in the White Fang; I saw the things he and Adam did, I was there to hear their shared excuses. The difference between him and Adam was that at least Adam was sincere when he showed himself to be a mass-murdering psycho." Her hands had now been balled into fists. "With Naruto, it's not so clear-cut. He'll spin a story, make you believe his side of things so completely that you begin to doubt yourself, and he might even have proof… but at the end of the day, he is _damn good_ at manipulating people, their beliefs, their emotions…"

"All because, despite what you may or may not believe, he _cares_." Finally, Cinder had taken a seat next to Blake. "He's becoming something he knows is evil, doing things he knows are immoral all because he's the only one willing to get his hands dirty to force a change that's sorely needed upon a system that's cripplingly broken. At the end of it all, he plans fully to put everything he's done behind him, maybe even own up to most of it if necessary." For a moment, the girls' eyes met. "He's sacrificing his _soul_ for a better future, for a better Remnant as a whole."

"I…" Blake, now starting to tear up again, bowed her head and buried her face in her hands. "I don't want the man that he's becoming, or has become. I… I just want _him_! He's destroying himself for the sake of a world that will never thank him, even if things do go according to plan!"

"Which is why he needs us, Blake." Gently, Cinder cupped the cat girl's cheek in her right hand and brought her face up to where their eyes locked once again. " _All_ of us."

"We represent things." Neo spoke up softly once again with a small yawn before pointing to herself. "Naru's loyalty."

"I represent his ambition." Cinder nodded. "He was drawn to Neo because of her unwavering loyalty to whoever she felt was worthy. Likewise he was drawn to me because I'm by nature very ambitious." She then paused for a semi-thoughtful look. "Of course, there were other personality quirks that he found either humorous or to his overall liking; we fell in love with him because we saw a part of ourselves in him and likewise he fell in love with us because he saw parts of himself in us."

"You represent something." Again, Neo let out a small yawn, as she was very close to falling back to sleep.

"What… do I represent?" Blake cautiously asked while wiping away a few stray tears.

"His love itself." Cinder simply said as if it were a matter of fact before faltering. "Naruto's… not exactly from this dimension, as you probably can already tell." After a confirming nod from Blake, she continued. "In his own dimension, he fell in love with and eventually married a girl by the name of Sakura Haruno. His love for her, as I understand it, was a remarkable thing; they were, or appeared to be, soul mates."

"What… happened?" Despite having her own suspicions, Blake was content to let the story play out.

"She died." Cinder's gaze fell even lower as she began fidgeting with her hands. "She died and he made it to this dimension, to Remnant. He saw the state of the world and with her death and the loss of his whole world fresh in his mind; he set out to change things, though he couldn't do it as himself. He…" She hesitated. "He fell back to a previous persona he created during his days as a special operations soldier in his old dimension."

"… No." Realization suddenly hit Blake like a freight train.

"He adopted the persona he swore he'd never again let loose upon the world… he became Specter." With a confirming nod, Cinder turned her attention back to the young Huntress. "Specter is a separate person from the person we know as Naruto Uzumaki. Whereas Naruto is normally kind, goofy and cocky, Specter is cold, calculating, amoral and ruthless… and the lines between these two personalities are quickly blurring; some of Specter's quirks make it through in his everyday life and he knows this fully, which is why he's trying to end things as quickly as possible."

"Destroying himself." Neo also nodded. "You said so yourself."

"So yes, he did betray you and cheat on you with Neo and I, but that's about as far as things have gone." The half-Maiden paused to shift in her seat. "The fight against Raven? Rigged. Qrow's death? Not part of the plan, instigated by Adam… Betraying you? He knew you'd find out sooner or later and he knew you'd hate him for it." Again, she paused, this time to bite her lower lip to contain the emotions boiling up inside of her. "And he's willing to take on that hatred if it means you live to see the world after he remakes it, because within you he sees the pure soul he wishes he had; he sees redemption in you."

"No… please…" Blake again bowed her head to hide the tears. "No more…"

"Within you he sees the wife he previously lost and within the world as a whole he sees a new beginning." Despite Blake's protests, Cinder pressed on. "He's going to restore the monarchies of the world and corral them under one central government: His Empire. He'll sit on the throne as Emperor with the other Kingdoms brought to heel and sitting next to him as his Empress… is you, Blake. You were always his Empress and you always will be, no matter what you say or do to him…" She paused to whisper something directly into the girl's ear. "You are the only thing keeping him from losing himself completely to the demon that is Specter."

"Angry because you love him." Neo smiled. " _Still_ love him."

"… More than anything in this world…" Blake whispered, mostly to herself. "I… I love him s-so… so _much_."

"Then what Empress would wait in some bunker while her Emperor is out fighting for her?" Cinder questioned with a smirk. "Go out there and _show_ him how much you love him by fighting at his side!"

"… Where's my weapon?" Suddenly, Blake snarled as if a fire had been lit inside her very soul.

As she stood, Cinder gestured to the far side of the room, where Gambol Shroud sat leaned against the wall, though just before Blake could jump up to go retrieve it, the Half-Maiden stopped her.

"Recently, Adam was killed by Frost, who took his discarded weapon to one of our armories." She began. "That weapon has spilled much innocent blood… why not use it in Adam's place, spite his memory by using it to save as many innocents as he killed?"

"The irony pleases me…" Blake nodded, yet still went to pick up Gambol Shroud. "Where is it?"

"Naruto's clone outside can show you the way." The smirk on Cinder's face never faltered. "Go out there and give them hell for us."

Needing no more encouragement, Blake walked up to the door and opened it, revealing Naruto's clone, who having heard the entire conversation, was waiting for her in a bow.

"Empress." It greeted her. "Follow me to the armory."

The walk was short, and as the door to the armory swung open, Blake raked her eyes over the many weapons stored within until she laid eyes upon Wilt and Blush. Slowly, she walked towards it, Gambol Shroud held tightly in her right hand as she approached it. With her left, she carefully reached out to it and, after but a moment's hesitation grasped it and pulled it free of its spot… and replaced it with Gambol Shroud.

"I'm the thing keeping him sane…" She took in a shaky breath. "As he's done what he thought was necessary to finally enact change upon the world… so will I. I'll be whatever he needs me to be, just as long as we're together at the end of it all…" with a flourish she unsheathed Wilt with her right hand and continued the flourishing spins until she swiped it to the side and elegantly sheathed it once again. "I'll keep him from becoming his demons, I'll share the burden with him, lighten his load… and rule his Empire with him if need be… he won't be alone in this from now on."

"And your uniform, Empress?" The clone questioned.

Turning to face another part of the room which held clothing and armor of all kinds, Blake leaned Wilt against one of the lower cabinets so she could change freely.

 **(Vale City: Same time)**

It was hopeless. There were just too many Grimm to contain, and even more were still pouring into the city to replace their fallen brethren. Even with Ozpin himself leading the charge, the tide of Grimm seemed to never end. Though they all continued to fight on, despite the odds.

With Glynda supporting the main front with her telekinetic Semblance, Port and Oobleck tag-teamed their way through a bloody swathe of Grimm and the rest of the assembled Huntsmen and Huntresses picked odd targets where they could find them. Ozpin himself, however, was a very literal blur of green energy as he cut his way through the incoming Grimm with his cane, a sight that was bewitching to watch to others that weren't battle-hardened Hunters.

"Holy shit, our Headmaster's a badass…" Yang idly noted to herself as she blasted a passing Creep. Though she was still coping with her Mom's 'death', she was fit enough to at least hold her own in a fight once again, evident when a hapless Ursa decided to charge her as well, only to be blasted into oblivion immediately upon deciding to charge.

"Still no sign of Pyrrha!" Jaune hollered as he blocked a swipe from a Beowolf, pushed its paw to the side and brought Crocea Mors down and through its neck to decapitate it. The sparring lessons with Naruto and Pyrrha had paid off, as he could now also hold his own in a fight considerably better than he could previously.

"Ruby and Mercury are missing as well!" Weiss added as she thrice in quick succession stabbed an Ursa in the chest before stabbing it a fourth time through the head.

"Take attendance later, students!" Oobleck ordered after batting a Boarbatusk over a nearby house. "Concentrate on the Grimm!"

Wave after wave of Grimm crashed against their wall and while some did indeed fall, the apparent numbers disadvantage was becoming clearer with every Grimm killed. After nearly another half hour of fighting, people were running low on both ammo and energy, all save for Ozpin, who was still showing both the Grimm and those present exactly why he was the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. Even with him steamrolling through the Grimm, Ozpin knew it would only be a matter of time before they were all overwhelmed. Facing bleak odds. He had to make a decision here and now… a decision which would undoubtedly reveal just what he was to the world, finally.

As he clicked his tongue, he pulled a hidden trigger on his cane, whereupon the cogs within its confines began spinning rapidly. His Aura began to flare out and just as he was about to fully commit to the transformation, a cacophony of gunfire echoed throughout the area they were in, mowing down Grimm after Grimm. Turning his attention upwards to the roofs of the surrounding buildings, Ozpin spied a plethora of people dressed in black military-style combat uniforms, with some wearing ballistic armor while others favored plate, though one thing was a constant throughout their varying uniforms… the 'T' visor of their leader which Ozpin knew all too well.

"Professor." The sickening synthetic voice of none other than Specter cut through the air as he peered over the side of one of the buildings. "Looks like you all could use some help."

Before Ozpin could eve say anything in response, his Scroll went off in his pocket, where he immediately withdrew it and put it on speaker.

"Professor, it's a damned miracle!" One of his huntresses had called in, who he recognized as Professor Peach. "Reinforcements have arrived! They're wearing uniforms unfamiliar to me, but damn if I don't care right now!"

"I know who they are, Peach." Ozpin growled at the predicament he was in. "They're with Specter; his Revolutionary soldiers have come to purge Vale of the Grimm."

"… O-Orders, sir?" The _very_ stunned Peach finally asked after a long pause.

"…" Growling, Ozpin glanced up to Specter, who was still standing there above them all. They needed the reinforcements. He knew it and he knew that Specter knew it. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place and he knew that if Vale was to survive the standing, grudges had to be temporarily put aside. "Stand down and assist the Revolutionary forces in driving the Grimm out."

"Y-Yes, sir!" Peach affirmed the orders before ending the call.

"Arrest me later if you wish, Professor." Specter smoothly said as he stepped over the edge of the building and landed in front of the man in question. "For now, count me as your ally against our common foe." He extended his right hand.

"… Only until the Grimm are eradicated." Ozpin nodded and accepted the offered hand. "Until then and no further."

"Agreed." Specter nodded in agreement, then turned and faced the second wave of Grimm. "Animals…" He spat, the synthesizer tuning his voice down to a very low growl. "Know your place!"

Despite the standing orders, Yang, in a fit of blind rage, charged at Specter from Behind just as he raised his right hand and pointed it at the Grimm. The literal fiery blonde was then blown backwards by an invisible wave of pressure that bubbled out of Specter's body, then was redirected through his right hand and into the charging Grimm, most of which were killed on impact. Nonplussed by the extraordinary display of power, Yang snarled and charged again, where just as Ozpin was ready to stop her personally, the metal of Ember Celica met the metal of the sword which intercepted the strike.

"Step away from Specter." The woman holding the sword spoke evenly. "Now."

' _Mother versus daughter this early on, eh?'_ Naruto thought to himself. _'Rae, please don't do anything too drastic…'_

"And just who the fuck are you?!" Yang raged.

"One of his elites." Raven again spoke evenly. "You need not know my name, girl." Promptly, she withdrew her new sword from her daughter's fist and sheathed it.

Raven was now wearing a black and red flowing kimono with silver armor segments covering her breasts and parts of her midsection which also showed a bit of leg and had the right sleeve torn off, thigh-high black stockings with matching black and red knee-high hardened leather boots, reinforced silver armguards upon both her arms, black fingerless gloves adorning her hands and a red bandanna tied around her right bicep. To hide her identity, she shared the 't' visor helmet of the common soldiers, except hers held a more jagged and rugged appeal to it with sharp edged here and there with red highlights.

Her new sword was a standard katana design which held four different triggers running down the length of its grip colored red, white, green and dark purple. The blade itself seemed to be of a high quality blackened steel, the guard was shaped into what resembled two birds circling around each other, the grips were black and the interior core was made of a red leather.

"Specter, we're ready to move on your orders." Raven turned to face her superior.

"Then we move." Specter nodded. "Clear the Grimm out of this great city!" He turned his gaze to the rooftops where his troops were still standing. "Save as many people as you can!"

"Yes, sir!" The entire assembled force voiced at once

As Specter began walking forward once again, two more figures appeared to flank him on his left and right while Raven trailed behind them slightly.

"Sai, take Groups A and B, secure the Council chambers and the financial districts." Specter began directing his forces as he walked.

"Sir!" Sai nodded quickly before disappearing again.

"Konan, you're with Groups C and D. Secure the industrial districts and push down to the docks."

"Right!" Konan followed Sai's example and nodded her compliance before disappearing.

"Falcon, you're with me." Specter finally turned to face Raven. "We'll be taking Delta and Omega Squads with us to take the fight directly to the walls."

"As you say, Specter." Raven, despite herself, couldn't help but purr once again.

That was when the ground began to rumble and shake in what was assumed to be an earthquake… that seemed to change its direction when the area around Mountain Glenn began shaking more violently than the city itself. Before everyone's eyes, the top of the mountain seemed to crumble, revealing first a set of eyes which then began glowing red, and then… it happened. The entire mountain exploded outwards and a shrill shriek filled the air as a Grimm _Dragon_ flew upwards, silhouetted by the broken moon, and began its flight towards Vale City.

All across the city, a renewed sense of dread only spurred the dragon onwards towards its target, which wasn't the city itself… no, it seemed to be gunning for _Specter_.

"So, this thing wishes to test me?" Specter rose to its challenge readily as he hopped the entire height of one of the buildings in front of him and landed on top of its roof, his arms spread wide in a challenging posture. "Come, then!"

' _Not even Specter could take this thing on alone...'_ Ozpin mentally celebrated. _'Is this our lucky break?'_

Very quickly the dragon had reached Vale and had begun sweating off its payload of fresh Grimm straight into the city itself as it continued its headlong flight towards its true target. Suddenly, however, some invisible force impacted against the top of its head and knocked it straight down, where another invisible force seemed to uppercut it back into the sky where it was jerked to its left by another invisible fist, thus beginning a pinball effect which lasted for around thirty seconds before the dragon seemed to now be held midair by its wings. Weakly, it screeched once again before a hole was blown through its chest and its corpse unceremoniously thrown to the side, even as it began disintegrating.

Stunned silence filled the entire city, as everyone within had just witnessed the utter decimation of the dragon, but none were more surprised than Ozpin himself, who wasn't staring at the things still disintegrating corpse… no, he was staring at the form of Specter, a look of palpable _fear_ shining in his normally stoic eyes. The 'T' visor of his rival soon rounded upon him in an epic stare down.

' _Thanks for the heads-up about Limbo, Zetsu.'_ Naruto inwardly thanked his new tenant.

" **Hmph."** Zetsu grunted. **"Just be sure give me a good show from now on, brat."**

"Shall we continue this extermination, Professor?" Specter asked, his synthesizer not hiding the pride and _malice_ in his voice as he taunted the aged Headmaster.

"God…" One of the Huntresses which followed Ozpin balked. "He's a living God…"

"He's no God." An unknown voice cut through the tension in the air. "He's just a man, nothing more."

Standing on the building opposite Specter was a woman wearing a white hooded cloak which obscured most of her form… save for the glowing silver eyes underneath her hood.

"Who is she…?" Questioned Jaune.

"Null-01…" Specter nodded his head to the woman. "Ozpin's shadow, his number one covert agent and his pride and joy."

"Or would you prefer to be called by your real name?" Raven had immediately recognized the woman in front of her. "Would you, Summer?"

"Raven." Summer inclined her head in an acknowledging gesture before slipping her hood down to reveal a youthful woman with long black highlighted red hair, still glowing silver eyes and a solemn look on her face.

"R-Raven…?" Yang parroted with wide eyes.

In response, Raven removed her helmet and tossed it to the side, eyes solely focused on the woman in front of her. "It's come to this, has it, Summer?"

"We were always too different from each other, Rae." Summer shook her head. "It's my responsibility to end you. The moment you doomed your brother to death was the moment I knew any good in you was gone."

"Qrow's death was necessary." Raven defended. "My brother was weak and chose the wrong side." She then let out a scoff. "I'll never get what exactly he saw in you, but apparently you were his ideal girl. And what do you do? You leave your daughter to be raised by another man on the orders of _him_!" She gestured to Ozpin with a hateful glare. "Ruby needed you, Summer!"

"Like Yang needed you!" Summer shot back. "Don't lecture me about leaving when you left both Tai and Yang at the earliest convenience! Your leaving tore Team STRQ apart and nearly killed Tai!"

"You were all weak, then!" Raven shouted. "And you'll share your boy toy's fate, here and now!"

"Raven!" Specter harshly cut in as Raven had just grasped the hilt of her new sword. "That's enough! We have an agreement with Professor Ozpin to help drive out the Grimm and that's what we're going to do!"

"But-"

"That's an _order_!" The tone of his synthesizer left no more room for discussion.

"… Yes, sir." She bit out as she stood down.

"You always were a closet sub, Rae." Summer shook her head as she slipped her hood back up. "You gonna fuck him and leave him as well? Or do you wear your leashes tighter now?"

"BITCH!" The Branwen all but screeched as Summer hopped down the building she was standing on and out of view, presumably to begin her purge of the Grimm.

"Come, Raven." Specter spoke. "We have abominations to slaughter."

"… Yeah." She let out a frustrated sigh as she and her leader were then sucked into a Kamui portal, leaving Ozpin and his entourage alone with their stunned thoughts. Thoughts which two sisters turned cousins were sharing in particular.

Yang had taken off in a random direction just after her Mom and Specter had disappeared.

"Yang, where are you going?!" Weiss called after her teammate.

"After my mom!" Yang quickly explained before booking it once again deeper into the city.

Across the way, Ruby had spied a woman in a white cloak and had approached out of curiosity when she had overheard the entire conversation. Unexpectedly, however, Summer had hopped down the building… and landed right in front of her daughter.

"M-Mom…?" Ruby stared up at Summer with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"… Ruby?" Summer's equally wide silver eyes bore into her daughter's shared silver eyes. "Ruby, honey is that you?"

"MOM!"

Ruby had thrown herself into her Mom's waiting arms, and Summer in response wrapped her daughter up tightly within her embrace, mentally thanking Specter for at least securing the area so they could have their moment, brief at it was doomed to be.

"Ruby, sweetie…" Summer softly cooed into her crying daughters ears. "I have to help exterminating the Grimm. I owe you an explanation, but that'll have to come after Vale is secure.

"T-Then I'll fight with you, Mom!" Determination lit up within Ruby's now puffy eyes.

"Normally I'd be against it, but…" Summer sighed. "I've heard you unlocked your eyes recently, so I guess I'll have to evaluate you."

"My… eyes?" Ruby, in response, quirked her head to the side in a quizzical tilt.

"A question for later." Summer smiled. "For now, stick beside me and watch yourself, sweetie. We hunt together!"

With her daughter enthusiastically following her, Summer first returned to Ozpin for her official orders.

"Summer." Ozpin nodded to the woman. "And… Miss Ruby Rose? Did Specter set you free?"

"On the condition that I fight for the Revolution." Ruby nodded. "But… now that I know my Mom is alive and is working for you, Professor, I think I'll take my chances."

"What did you see while in captivity?" The aged Headmaster quickly questioned. "They may be our allies for the moment, but the Revolution is still a group of criminals that need to be shut down. Any information you have, Miss Rose, could be invaluable to our future efforts against them."

"They had a base here in Vale, but it was leveled by the initial Grimm invasion." Ruby began explaining. "They kept me in a cell for most of the time, but…" It then clicked with her that she knew something priceless. "Professor! I saw Specter's face! I know who he is!"

"Who?!" Again, the stoic façade fell at the very mention of who Specter was. "Who, Ruby?! Who is he?!"

"He's…"

As she was preparing to tell her Headmaster who Specter was, something inside her head seemed to snap. Her voice faltered even as she was still speaking, her once beautiful silver eyes dulled and rolled into the back of her head as she collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes, foaming at the mouth, bleeding from the nose and lightly convulsing.

"RUBY!" Summer barely had time to catch her daughter before she hit the ground and could do nothing but sit there as her daughter's convulsions worsened until she went still and limp. "No, no, no, no…" She began chanting over and over as she felt for any kind of pulse… and felt none. "No… sweetie, no…"

"Specter…" Ozpin snarled as he stared at the spot where Specter had last stood. "I promise you, I will _KILL_ you!"

"NOOOOOO!" Summer all but wailed out as she cradled her daughter's lifeless body in her arms.

 **(With Specter and Raven: Same time)**

As they came out of the Kamui portal, Specter's head shot up as if he were looking into the sky.

"What's wrong?" Raven asked.

"The young Miss Rose betrayed us…" Specter sighed. "She was going to reveal my identity to Ozpin, thus triggering a latent Tsukuyomi trap I hid within the depths of her mind."

"So she's…?" The Branwen matriarch began.

"Dead." Specter finished with a nod. "Her mind was destroyed. It should have been relatively painless and over in an instant… though still a waste. She had such potential…"

"MOOOOOM!" Yang's voice rang out throughout the streets below them.

"… May I?" Raven asked.

"Of course." Specter nodded once again. "Try to get her on our side, Raven. She'd make a valuable asset."

As Raven disappeared into one of her portals, another sigh escaped Specter as he removed his mask and shook his head to straighten out his hair. Naruto then gently set his helmet down upon the ledge of the building he was standing on top of and stared out over the ruined city that was Vale.

"Naruto." A voice behind him broke him out of his reverie and as he rounded upon the person who called his name, he went wide eyed in shock.

Standing before him was a woman wearing a black sleeveless, almost skintight crop top that exposed her midriff and contoured to her rather impressive breasts nicely, black faded jeans which were secured to her waist by two belts crossing each other in a 'X' pattern and were tucked into a pair of black high heeled boots which went up to just above her knees, a white long-sleeved duster which stopped just above her ankles and a black Grimm mask with white highlights obscured her identity, yet allowed her long black hair to bellow freely in the wind. Upon her left hip was the weapon Naruto recognized as Wilt.

"… Blake?" He questioned.

Instead of saying anything, Blake simply removed her mask and unceremoniously dropped it at her feet with a smile. "It's me."

"You're… not mad?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I was." She nodded. "I was _furious_ at you… but then Cinder and Neo talked me through everything." She let out a sigh. "I still have reservations about all of this, but if what they said is true, then I'll be able to help you through all of this; help guide you, share your burden…"

"Y-You're… joining?" Though he guessed as much because of the uniform, he still felt like he had to ask.

"I am." Again, she nodded affirmative. "Naruto, I…" She blushed, despite herself. "I still love you. Even after everything you've done, I still love you. I realized that you were all but destroying yourself over something that we both know needs to happen, yet saw that no one was willing to step up… and if I can help you in any way…"

"You already are." He beamed at her as he approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Gods, you've just made my night."

Amidst the sounds of battle that were very quickly dying down, Naruto and Blake shared a _powerful_ kiss atop the building, a kiss which reaffirmed their beliefs in each other and spoke to Naruto of a desire to see his ambitions through, of a desire to share his burden, to ease his pain. He was surer now that Blake was truly his soul mate and he couldn't be happier that she was at least willing to see his side of things now.

The two lovers had finally reconciled among the chaos surrounding them, with an entire adventure still ahead of them. The Emperor and his Empress, after sharing their kiss, stared out over the ruined city of Vale together, both knowing that very soon indeed the Revolution could be declared.

All that was left was to deal with the aftermath of the Grimm raid. For better or worse, the Revolution was now ready. But was the world ready? Only time would tell.

 **AN: Summer's back and alive, her daughter's dead, Yang knows Raven's alive and might be joining the Revolution, Naruto and Blake are back together and the Revolution as a whole has finally been unveiled for the world to see in a position of benevolence, having helped defend Vale instead of very easily conquering it in its moment of weakness. WHEW, damn that was fun to write!**

 **I did warn you all before that a major character was going to die, and I envision a bit of backlash from this, but I'm sticking to my guns; Ruby's death was necessary to the plot progression and it had to be done.**

 **Now, pairing news. I've recently decided that Pyrrha's out of the harem for reasons that will become clear later on, so that opens a spot. Who should join Neo, Cinder and Blake, now that there are two spots open? Personally, I'm leaning towards Raven and Emerald, but as always, suggestions are welcome, so hit me with your choices and give me some good reasons for or against! Later, kiddies!**

 **This is ZeroDivisionRaijin, signing off!**


End file.
